Blood of Enemies, Blood of Friends
Chapter 45 – The Battle
Two hours before sunset everyone gathered in the Scooby common room. They quickly divided into several groups: those directly involved in the ritual; the Slayers, wizarding students, and Hogwarts faculty members; the aurors, Order members, and Narcissa Malfoy; and the vampires. Dumbledore provided each group with a portkey that would take them to their destination half a mile from the hellmouth. They hoped to be just far enough away not to draw attention during the ritual. Dumbledore also provided each person with a pin that sported the Hogwarts crest. "If any of you find yourself in mortal peril, touch the pin and say 'Hogwarts.' You will immediately be transported to the entryway of the castle." The group nodded in understanding.
Robin stepped toward the group involved in the prophecy. He strapped a sheath with a small dagger to each of their arms with the exception of Dawn who was already wearing her Christmas gift from Spike and Buffy and Shannon who had weapons including knives hidden on their bodies. "For the ritual," Robin explained.
Faith meanwhile was fully arming the Slayers with stakes and swords. Faith was also carrying additional weapons for the ritual participants in the even they were needed.
The aurors, Order members, and Narcissa were the first to leave, giving them time to scout the area ahead of the others' arrival. After a long discussion that morning with Buffy, Charlie had decided to stick around and do his duty as an Order member. Buffy understood why he felt he had to participate. He was going to help protect his two youngest siblings, much as Narcissa was going to protect her son.
Fifteen minutes after the first group left, the ritual participants, Slayers, students, and faculty followed. The vampires would be the last to arrive, as they could not travel until the sun had set.
The group found themselves in a small park. Tonks greeted them. "Voldemort and his Death Eaters are standing on top of the hellmouth as we speak. We think that some of his other allies are scattered around the town. Those are the ones we will need to look out for."
Buffy nodded her agreement to Tonks, and then called everyone's attention. "Let's do this," she said commandingly.
Giles held up the gemma sanguinis. Willow took her knife and sliced open her finger, rubbing her blood over the gem. She then walked several feet away from Giles. Buffy and then Xander did exactly as Willow had, and then joined their friend, creating a small triangle.
Dawn stepped up next. She sliced her finger open with her dagger and rubbed the blood over the gem. Giles gave her a fatherly smile. Dawn walked several feet away from Giles to begin the formation of the second point of the triangle. Shannon followed her friend with Andrew close behind. Shannon added her blood to the gem, as she began to walk away she noticed Andrew hesitating with his own blade. Shannon took the blade from him and sliced his finger, earning a loud "Ouch," from Andrew. "Don't be such a baby," replied Shannon. Andrew added his blood and walked with Shannon to stand close to Dawn, forming a second small triangle.
Hermione was not any happier than Andrew about slicing open her finger; however, she did it quickly. Not looking at her own blood, she pressed her finger to the gem, before walking away from Giles and beginning the formation of the final point of the triangle. Harry, then Ron, quickly added their blood to the gem and joined Hermione, creating their own triangle.
As Giles placed the gemma sanguinis around his neck, the sun fully set. Angel, Spike, and Genevieve arrived and took their places among the wizards and Slayers that surrounded those performing the ritual.
The nine friends closed their eyes and began reciting the spell, each knowing the words by heart. "I give of my energies," they all spoke. "My mind," said Willow, Dawn, and Hermione. "My hands," said Buffy, Shannon, and Harry. "My heart," said Xander, Andrew, and Ron. They all spoke together. "That they be combined, that they become one into a single entity." The surrounding wizards and Slayers stood in awe as they watched swirling mist gathering around each of the nine friends, initiating from Willow's, Dawn's, and Hermione's heads, Buffy's, Shannon's, and Harry's hands, and Xander's, Andrew's, and Ron's chests. The nine friends continued to repeat their part of the spell.
Giles, seeing the gathering mist and the soft glow of the gemma sanguinis that hung around his neck, began reciting his part of the spell. "Allow these energies to come forth into this reality." The mist poured into the gem, causing it to glow a deep blood red. "Allow these energies to take form." Dazzling white light suddenly poured from the gem, taking the form of a large androgynous warrior.
At the same time that the witnesses saw the energies taking form, they also heard a blood-curdling screams coming from the sight of Voldemort's ritual. High above the gathered Death Eaters, the First Evil showed its true form, monstrously hideous.
"Allow these energies to bend to my will," called Giles. The light warrior bowed toward Giles, silently asking for instructions. Giles used all of his concentration to guide their warrior into battle against the First Evil.
As the First descended toward Voldemort, its path was blocked by the light warrior. The two began to battle, good versus evil, light versus dark. Giles maintained the necessary high level of concentration.
Suddenly the surrounding wizards, Slayers, and vampires felt a chill, the stars disappearing from the sky, causing total blackness. "Dementors," someone shouted. Angel, Spike, and the Slayers approached the dementors, instincts screaming for a physical battle. Instead the dementors quickly overwhelmed them. The Slayers began to feel all the pain and sorrow of losing loved ones to their last fight with the First. Angel was the first to pass out from the agony of his centuries of guilt. Spike was not fairing much better than Angel.
The wizards drew their wands, each trying to find a single happy thought. The aurors easily called forth their patronuses, having dealt with the renegade dementors for the past year. Remus Lupin also easily conjured his patronus.
Genevieve pulled her wand as well. She was struggling to find a happy thought, having lost everyone she ever loved to human frailty, even as she continued to live. After several minutes of feeling near-overwhelming sadness, Genevieve finally focused on her newly forming feelings for William, the one man who would never be taken from her by death. "Expecto patronum," she shouted, as a large swan shot out of the end of her wand. The swan sped toward the dementors nearest to her.
As Ginny passed out beside him from the memories of her possession by Voldemort, Draco easily found his one happy thought – Dawn. No matter what he had done in the past, she loved him for the man he was today. Holding onto the thought of that love, Draco said the words that Professor Snape had taught him, "Expecto patronum." A large white ferret erupted from his wand. Draco held onto his thoughts of Dawn, trying to ignore the irritation that he felt for the form of his patronus. In the back of his mind, he knew that Potter and Weasley would make fun of him because his patronus was the amazing, bouncing ferret.
The patronuses were successful in driving off the dementors, before they got close enough to distract Giles from his concentration. After the dementors had fled, Ginny and Angel were revived and everyone turned their attention back to the battle between the First Evil and the light warrior. The First Evil attacked like an animal, as the light warrior fought with the grace that comes from containing the energy of two Slayers. The light warrior also flung sparks of power from the energy of the three wizards and the one who was once the key, keeping the First Evil at bay. The light warrior used the knowledge of the minds, the power of the hands, and the determination of the hearts. After a spectacular heavenly battle, the First Evil was beaten back from Voldemort, finally giving up and disappearing.
Everyone heard the piercing cry of Voldemort, "No." The light warrior lost its form, becoming a beam of light that forcefully shot into the gemma sanguinis. The gem once again glowed blood red, before nine separate beams of light shot from it and into the nine friends, knocking them all to the ground.
As the ritual participants got to their feet and stumbled toward the surrounding wizards and Slayers, the silence was shattered by several clicks. Everyone looked toward the sound to see approximately eight people in military fatigues, pointing guns at the group.
"Commandos?" questioned Willow. "Here?"
"Someone's got to be kidding," quipped Xander exasperatedly.
"Everyone freeze," ordered a familiar voice.
Recognition flashed across Buffy's face. "Riley?" she asked.
The man who had spoken the order lowered his weapon and pulled his mask from his face. "Buffy?" Their eyes met. "Stand down," Riley ordered the group.
The person standing beside him also pulled off her mask. "Fancy meeting you here," said Riley's wife, Sam.
"Buffy, what is going on?" Riley asked. "We got strange energy readings from this place, consistent with MEH activity."
"MEH?" asked Willow.
"Magically Enhanced Humans," explained Sam.
"Figures," snarled Spike. "That is as insulting as when you referred to vampires as HST's. They're called wizards, mate."
Riley glared at Spike. "I'd behave myself, if I were you, Hostile 17. Wouldn't want another behavior modification chip."
"Spike has a soul now," said Buffy. "He doesn't need a chip."
"So, what are you doing here?" Riley asked.
"Riley, listen to me. We did what we had to, and I have no problem explaining it to you later, but we all need to get out of here now, before the Death Eaters. . ."
"Too late," interrupted Giles. Focusing on the distraction of the commandos, no one had noticed that nearly fifty Death Eaters had surrounded them.
"Now those are the bad guys," said Buffy, as curses started flying. "But, remember that they are human."
"Take down the guys in masks," called Riley to his team. "Tranq use only."
The aurors and other wizards began hurling curses. The Slayers, Angel, and Spike dodged various Death Eater curses, trying to get close enough to physically disable them. The commandos opened fire with their tranquilizer guns.
Buffy made her way to Giles. "We need to get out of here, get the students back to Hogwarts."
"Agreed," replied Giles. He began working his way through the battle, diving curses and hurling his own in retaliation. Whenever, he came across a student, he told them to use their portkeys to return to school. Luna and Andrew were the first to leave. Xander, having no magical ability, was the next to leave, followed shortly by Anya.
Charlie worked his way toward his sister. "Ready to go?" he asked.
"Oh yeah," replied Neville, who was by her side.
"What about the others?" asked Ginny.
"Everyone is getting out. You two go now." Ginny and Neville nodded, touched their crests and disappeared.
The Death Eaters were gaining the upper hand. Faith yelled to the Slayers, ordering them to get out. Robin returned to Hogwarts with one group of Slayers. Faith gathered the rest, and they returned as well.
Riley ordered his team to fall back. Their weapons were no match for the amount of curses being hurled around. He got his team out, dodging curses all the way. When he did a quick headcount, he realized that Sam was missing. He ordered his team to return to their headquarters, before rejoining the fray in search of his wife.
A Death Eater hurled a killing curse toward Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They all dove out of the way, Harry and Ron in one direction and Hermione in the other. Lying on the ground, Ron tried to urge his best friend to leave. "Harry you have to go back to Hogwarts. You need to stay safe until it is time for you to kill Voldemort."
"I'm not going unless you come too," argued Harry.
"I'll be right behind you," said Ron. "I just need to make sure that Hermione is safe first."
"I shouldn't leave either then. She is my friend too."
"Harry, just go, please," argued Ron.
Before either boy could say more, Shannon was beside them, having tucked into a roll to avoid a Cruciatus curse. "We need to get out of here," she said. "Buffy is passing word for us to all get back to Hogwarts."
"Shannon, I need to make sure Hermione is all right, then we are both out of here," said Ron. "Can you make sure Harry gets back?"
"We're going now," said Shannon.
"No, we're not," said Harry. Shannon gave him a sharp look. "First lesson of being the hero – live to fight another day." Harry nodded. Both teens touched the crests they were wearing and said, "Hogwarts." They disappeared, leaving Ron alone. Ron pulled himself up and went to search for Hermione.
As the battle continued, Tonks was struck from behind, knocking her unconscious. Willow saw Tonks fall and a chill swept over her, when she realized that they one who had inflicted the blow was Kennedy, who turned and smirked at Willow. "I told you I had the power," said Kennedy snottily.
"No, I do," said a black-eyes Willow in a dangerously low voice. A large wave of power knocked Kennedy back. The dark Slayer got to her feet and charged at Willow, only to be thrown back again, this time passing through the beam of a killing curse. Kennedy's body crashed unmoving to the ground.
Willow's eyes returned to their original color, as she hurled herself toward Tonks. Cat and Wesley joined her. "We need to get her to Madame Pomfrey," said Cat. Willow nodded, as Wesley pulled Tonks into his arms. The four of them disappeared.
Ron continued to search for Hermione, first finding his brother. "Ron, you have to go back to Hogwarts," Charlie yelled while blocking a curse from one of the Death Eaters.
"Not without Hermione," replied Ron as he dodged another curse. Charlie nodded and followed his brother, as they searched for Hermione.
Meanwhile, Hermione too would not leave without Ron. She had gotten herself back into the battle, searching for him. The two teens had finally spotted each other, when suddenly Hermione felt the pain of thousands of knives course through her body as a Cruciatus curse hit her from behind. The pain stopped. She turned to see Lucius Malfoy aiming his wand at her. "The mudblood, let's see how we can make her suffer," he taunted.
Hermione heard someone shout, "No," but the sound came from the direction opposite where Ron and Charlie were running toward her.
"Crucio," shouted Lucius. Hermione closed her eyes bracing herself for the pain, but it never came. She saw Draco lying between her and Lucius, curled in a fetal position, waves of pain causing his body to convulse. "Go," gasped Draco, as the pain began to subside. Ron and Charlie had reached Hermione's side. The three of them touched their portkeys and disappeared.
"Saving a mudblood," shrieked Lucius. "You are no son of mine. Avada. . ."
Dawn had run toward Draco, when she saw the Cruciatus curse hit him. She threw herself in front of him, as Lucius finished the incantation of the death curse, "Kedavra." Green light flew toward Dawn. It enveloped her, but as Dawn fell to the ground, the curse rebounded to its castor, hitting Lucius Malfoy and killing him instantly.
"Dawn," cried Draco, as he threw himself on top of her, feeling the tears already stinging at the corners of his eyes. As he put his arms around her and bent his head to her chest, he realized that she was still breathing. Without thinking, Draco held onto Dawn as he activated his portkey, causing them to disappear from the battle.
Buffy found herself once again fighting beside Riley. "I thought you pulled out," she said, hitting a Death Eater hard in the face.
"We did, but I can't find Sam," he replied frantically.
Buffy finished with the Death Eater, and then began scanning the battle scene for Sam. Buffy noticed someone in fatigues lying on the ground several yards away from them. As they reached her, Giles and Narcissa joined them.
"She doesn't look good," said Riley, inspecting his unconscious wife. "She's lost a lot of blood. I have to get her to a hospital." Riley began to lift Sam's limp form into his arms.
"No, wait," said Buffy. "Giles, Narcissa, can you get her to Pomfrey?" The two nodded. The each took hold of one side of Sam, before touching their portkeys to return to Hogwarts.
"Where did they go?" cried Riley.
"Trust me," said Buffy. "I need to make sure all of our people get out, then I will take you to her."
"We can take her," said Genevieve, who had approached them along with Spike and Angel. "I think that the only ones left are us and a couple of the aurors."
"I need to do a sweep to make sure," said Buffy.
"I'm coming with you," said Angel.
"Fine," Buffy replied. She turned to Spike and Genevieve. "Take Riley back to Hogwarts. His wife is in the hospital wing." The two vampires nodded, grabbed hold of Riley, and disappeared.
Buffy and Angel did a final sweep of the battle. Most of the Death Eaters had disapparated, when they realized that those they were fighting had escaped. Four aurors remained, securing the stunned and unconscious Death Eaters. "Everything over?" asked Buffy.
"Looks like it," replied Kingsley. "We have ten Death Eaters secured and another dead."
"Who?" asked Buffy.
"Lucius Malfoy," replied Kingsley. He looks like he was hit with the killing curse."
"Must have been friendly fire," said Angel.
"I guess we should get back to Hogwarts and make sure everyone is okay," said Buffy. Angel nodded and the two touched the crests on their chests. "Hogwarts," they said.