Chapter 8 The First Resistance

"How is it I am overcome with a sensation that your visit to the dueling arena this morning is not to give us our new uniforms" Harry asked picking up on the change in Dumbledore's face. "You are correct Harry, like normal." Dumbledore answered, the seriousness in his tone meant something had, or was about to happen. "The reason we are here is because word has come that Voldermort is sending Death eaters to Durmstrang in hopes of recruiting new followers, and capture Kakaroff. We are headed there now, and need as much help as we can get." He finished looking at the stunned four.

"Albus, do you think it wise we go so soon?" Harry asked? Although he had studied as much as he could over the summer he still wanted to be trained more, and was now worried about his friends, and girlfriend. "I understand that you four are still in need of training, but after witnessing what you did this morning, I am confident enough to bring you along. Remus has gathered fifteen new members who are already stationed at the school, and they along with us will be the first line of defense, but I want the four of you in the school acting as the second." Dumbledore said producing four masks that would cover their faces.

"It is important that we remain anonymous. These are for your protection as well as your families" He finished handing the four their masks, which they put on almost immediately. Looking at his watch, Dumbledore decided it was time, and turning to the others, the group of seven made their way into the corridor of Marauders Hall, where Sirius stopped Harry.

"Harry, if things get to rough, get your friends, and yourself out of there. Your safety is more important than anyone at Durmstrang, do you understand?" he asked looking into the green eyes of his godson. Harry told him that he would do as asked, and it was then that Sirius pulled out the small box Dumbledore had given him just two nights earlier.

"Put these on, your father customized those boots to hold them, and who knows they may come in handy" he said opening the box for Harry, and showing him two pairs of throwing knives. "The red ones were James's, the Gold were your mothers" he finished, as Harry took the Red ones placing one in each boot. Taking the smaller gold ones, Harry held his hand over his heart, and creating two small pockets in the chest strap he used to carry his sword, Harry silently thanked his parents before turning to Sirius with tears in his eyes.

"Thank you Sirius" he said banishing the box back to his dorm room, and hurrying to catch up with the others. When the two reached the common room, Dumbledore said the password, and moments later the seven were standing in the meeting room behind the great Hall, and to Harry's surprise so were Arthur, McGonagall, and Arabella.

Pulling down their masks, and pulling up their hoods, the order followed the headmaster and walked single file into the crowded great Hall. To the surprise of Harry, and the others, not a single student gasped, or screamed. The sudden appearance of 10 cloaked, hooded, and masked Wizards would have defiantly made Harry question what was happening, but to his surprise most of the students bowed, or moved out of their way. Seeing this strange reaction Harry could come up with only answer. "Dumbledore told them earlier" he heard Sirius say, and Harry simply nodded.

Leaving the great hall almost as fast as they entered, the group made their way to the forbidden forest, once at the edge, and out of the sight of the students, Dumbledore pulled a small leather book from his pocket, and advised the others to take hold. Ten seconds later the group found themselves at the front doors of Durmstrang, where Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Cho were given the assignment to locate Headmaster Kakaroff, and bring him to Dumbledore.

"Yes sir" Harry said pushing open the front doors, and walking in. What meet him next however he was not prepared for, and pulling his sword Harry came face to face with the first attacker. "Stupefy" Cho shouted, unlike Harry she had pulled her wand, and before the attacker could even get a word out he fell stunned to the floor. The presence of the sword however did have its advantages. Instead of throwing curses the remaining wizard and witches stepped back, and Kakaroff himself stepped forward demanding to know who they were.

"Listen to me Kakaroff" Harry spoke, his voice firm, and demanding. "We are representatives of The Order Of The Phoenix, and have been sent here to protect you from Voldermort" he said hearing a few gasps from the students lined up behind the teachers. "Follow me, and I will bring you to our leader" Harry stated walking outside with Kakaroff who seemed timid to leave his school.

"Sir, Here is Kakaroff as you requested" Harry said walking over to professor Dumbledore. 'Thank you Mr. Phoenix" Dumbledore replied advising Harry to return to the school, and ensure the students were taken to their towers, and the teachers willing to fight sent outside. Doing as he was told, Harry walked back to the main entrance, and just as he opened the doors, the battle begun as twenty death eaters attacked a small group of five order members protecting the east entrance.

Entering the school, Harry was meet with the frightened eyes of fifteen teachers, and his friends. Commanding those willing to fight out, Harry ordered the four who were to frightened to disburse to the entrances of the school, and place shielding spells over the doors. When every teacher had done what they were told, and it was only Ron, Hermione, and Harry at the front gate, Harry turned to his friends.

"We are not ready for this, Voldermort sent more than just a few death eaters" Harry said walking over to his girlfriend, and pulling her close. "Lets stick together, If anyone gets in the castle, it is our job to stop them" Harry said turning to Ron. "Harry," Hermione said clasping a hand over her mouth, and peering down the corridor to make sure they were along. "Sorry," she said looking frightened.

Harry however understood why she was both sorry, and frightened, and took action. "Ron, you are "Mr. Knight" Hermione, you will be " Ms. Queen" Cho, " Ms. Song." Seeing the confused looks in his friends eyes Harry continued. "I will be Mr. Phoenix, for that is what Dumbledore called me."

"Knight?" Ron asked, and Harry laughed, "Ya mate, don't you remember. "I'll be a knight" Harry spoke imitating Ron's voice. Ron understood right away, but Harry had to explain to both Hermione, and Cho, "You know Hermione, the chess game, Ron was a knight, you were the queenside castle." Hermione understood after that, and Harry could distinctively make out a smile behind her mask.

"Ms. Song?" Cho asked, as Harry turned to his girlfriend. "I will explain later" was all he said before kissing her forehead, and turning to the doors. "Did you feel that?" he asked reaching up and touching the door. "It's vibrating" he said pulling it open just enough to get a look at what was happening.

The sights that meet Harry's eyes were enough to freeze his blood. Outside on what used to be the quiet Durmstrang main yard rose a ferocious battle. Fifteen Order members, and twenty teachers were struggling to hold back the forces of Voldermort, and from what Harry could tell, they were close to loosing.

"Cho, Ron, Hermione" Harry said throwing open the doors, and stepping out onto the front steps. "We have to do something" he finished seeing as a group of four order members had been separated from the rest of the team, and were surrounded by numerous death eaters, giants, and Dementors.

"Okay, this is what we are going to do" Harry spoke turning around, to speak to his friends. "Ron, Hermione, I need you to find the infirmary. Grab every thing you can include the nurse, and bring everything to the east doors. I will make sure the injured order members go there "Cho, I will need your help by the west doors. By the looks of it that is where that small group are being driven, and we will see about evening out the odds. He said pushing the three back into the school, and closing the door.

Placing both hands on separate sides of the door, Harry concentrated his magical energy through his hands, and with a flash of blinding silver light, the once warm oak doors had been transformed into a solid block of lead, and just in time, for a second later the sound of a giant reaching them could be heard, and the crashing sound of a club on metal could be heard, followed by the angry screams of pain the impact obviously caused the giant.

"Harry, what was that" Ron asked, and Harry knew he would have more explaining to do that night. "I will explain later, you and Hermione need to get the nurse to the east doors" Harry said grabbing Cho's hand. "I just managed to seal the front doors in time, but I am sure the west are about to fall, and if Cho, and I don't reach that group soon, we may loose all four of them tonight." Harry said turning one last time to his friends.

"Ron, Hermione. Take care of yourself. We will meet up when this is all over back here" He finished, and with a stunned looking Ron, and Hermione, Harry and Cho disappeared down the west corridor where the sounds of a door crashing in the distance could be heard, and a piercing scream of a women echoed through the hall.

"Harry, I am scared" Cho said as the two turned the last darkened corner, and the light coming through the broken door could be seen. "I am two sweetheart" Harry responded reaching for the chain that held the phoenix necklace. "If we stick together we will make it out of this" Harry said reassuringly, placing a charm on the necklace, and the next thing Cho knew she was surrounded in a soft glow if red, yellow, blue, and green.

"Harry, what did you just do?" Cho asked, but Harry could not respond, for the soft glow of the shield around Cho gave away their position, and the two were now under Heavy attack.

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BACK TO RON AND HERMIONE

As Ron, and Hermione made their way through the unfamiliar halls, their hearts were pumping with both fear, and anticipation. Doing as Harry had commanded they raced from room to room in search of the infirmary, and after ten minutes of searching, they had turned up nothing.

"Hermione, maybe we should just go to the east doors," Ron said throwing open the last door in this corridor in frustration, and watching it tumble to the ground. Jumping back at the noise the crashing noise made, Ron was surprised to look up, and see he had actually found the hospital wing.

"Hermione, I found it' he shouted startling his girlfriend, and the nurse who instantly begun to yell at him. Ron however paid no attention to her however for her screams were deafening, and in Russian.

"Calm down" he shouted back as the medi witch approached him. Luckily for Ron however, Hermione showed up just then, and minutes later the three were rushing to the east doors, Hermione and the Medi witch discussing what was happening in a language Ron did not understand.

"Hermione, Ron" What are you doing down here, where is Harry" Sirius shouted as the three became visible, and the two got their first look of what had happened. Right outside of the east door were ten severely injured order members, and just as many Durmstrang teachers. "Sirius your hurt" was Hermione's answer as she conjured some bandages from her wand, and secured them to a large gash in his forearm. "Not as bad as the others" he replied pulling back a little from the sting, but giving in and allowing Hermione to stop the bleeding.

"Hermione, Ron, were is Harry?" Sirius asked again, you could tell by his tone he was quiet worried.. "After blocking the front doors he took Cho to the west gates" Ron answered as Hermione finished patching Sirius up. "The west gates" Sirius shouted jumping to his feet, and frightening those around him. "That is where the battle is" He yelled transforming into Snuffles, and dashing off into the direction of the front doors.

"Please Merlin tell me Dumbledore is with him" Sirius said to himself as he reached the Iron wall that once made up the entrance to the school. "What in heavens name" he said inspecting it momentarily.

"We asked him the same thing" Ron said panting for breath with Hermione by his side. They had instinctively taken off after Sirius, and even though he was in dog form, had caught up fast. "What do you two think you are doing?" Sirius barked startled by their presence, and turning on the couple. One look at Hermione however answered his question, for the pure anger in her eyes was enough to stop a mountain troll.

"I see," he said pulling his wand, and turning again to where the sound of a ferocious battle could be heard. "Lets do this now then" Sirius shouted rushing off with Hermione and Ron by his side. Bye the time they reached the west gates the battle was over. Walking over to where the remaining order members, and teachers stood, Sirius fell to his knees at the sight in front of him breaking into tears almost instantly.

******************************* BACK TO HARRY AND CHO

"Crucio" the first death eater yelled reaching Harry and Cho within seconds. Being that he was still concentrating on the charm he had placed over Cho, Harry did not had enough time to put up his shield, and with a scream of pain, fell to the hard stone floor as the curse struck him square in the chest.

"Now, who do we have here" came the laugh of two deatheaters as they approached. "Crucio" one shouted aiming his wand at Cho. "No" Harry screamed as the charm he had placed broke under the spell. Seconds later Cho fell to a second curse, and through her screams, Harry knew it to be the Crucactus curse.

"Leave her be" Harry shouted forcing his eyes open, and seeing his girlfriend thrash out in pain as her muscles were being ripped apart. Hearing the laughing coming from the two men, Harry understood what needed to be done, and arching his back as to better control the pain, Harry forced his mind to draw what energy it could.

"Cho, Cho listen to me" Harry shouted making a mental link to his girlfriend. "Let it end, please God let me just die" Harry heard as the connection was made. Overcome by guilt as Cho screamed out to die, Harry again forced his mind to concentrate on the magic within him, and with a blinding flash of white light, Cho lay motionless as the pain of the crucactus curse vanished.

"How is this possible" the death eater standing above Cho shouted glaring at the young witch below him who was frantically reaching for her wand. "She broke through the crucactus curse" he yelled, fear evident in his voice. Training his wand at the heart of the girl who turned to face him, the death eater knew what he needed to do, and before Cho had even raised her wand, the cry of "Aveda Kedavara" could be heard, and a flash of green light blew Cho to the ground.

For Cho however their was no pain, as she crashed to the ground her hand fell lifeless to the side. Instead the green light that she knew would rip her soul from her body could do any damage, the light slipped through her hands. Turning to her left, Cho momentarily locked eyes with Harry, and a second latter, She cried out in pain as here heart broke, for instead of feeling her body die, she felt a burst of warmth and energy as the light consumed not her, but Harry.

At the sight of Harry lying motionless next to her, Cho lost all control of her Magical abilities. As the halls begun to fill with wind, the warmth the school once held was sucked in around Cho, who begun to glow a brilliant color of blue. Fearing for their lives, the two death eaters that had attacked her and Harry begun to make for the exit, but just as they were about to jump out of the broken down doors, the power that had built up around the raging Ravenclaw was released, and the two deatheaters never moved again, for they had been transformed into statues, only to crumble, and be blown away like dust.

When the halls quieted down again, and the warmth returned, Cho fell down next to Harry. Uttering not a word, or make any attempt to stand, Cho sat in the darkened corridor rocking back and forth for nearly fifteen minutes staring at the lifeless body of Harry, her emotions completely out of control.

As the sun finally lifted itself midway into the sky, and the light filtering in through the windows lighted the corridor, Cho finally gave in, and pulled Harry into her lap. What happened next however she did not expect, for the second she touched Harry he begun to glow a blinding silver and red, only to stop as he begun to cough, and spit up blood.

"Harry" Cho screamed pulling him into her, and holding him tight "Ch-Ch-Cho" Harry managed to get out prying himself from her death grasp. "You're choking me" he laughed, only to regret it as he coughed up more blood.

Cho instantly released the grip, which Harry was pleased for, but the two did not have time to embrace again, for just then the image of two men appeared above them, and the words Crucio rang through the hall.

"That spell will never have an effect on me again" Harry yelled fighting against the crucactus curse, and forcing his body to stand. "Expelliarmus" he shouted, blasting the small bald man who had attacked him twenty feet back down the corridor, and crushing his wand at the same time.

"Stupefy" he shouted next firing the stunning spell from his hand and bringing down the second man, Just then however Harry witnessed Cho fall to the side, for the stress had overcome her, and she had finally passed out.

"Cho" Harry shouted reaching down to help his girlfriend up. Just as he was about to reach her however, an invisible hand reached out, and with perfect timing gave a pull, and Cho was pulled through the hall, and out the broken door. "This is not happening" Harry shouted standing back up, and facing the five men who had just entered the school. Gripping his wand, Harry begun making his way toward them Eyes glowing a mixture between silver, and red.

"Our master will be pleased when he finds we have captured Miss Chang" came the sickening voice of one of the death eaters, and Harry reacted by raising his wand, and as if slashing it through the air, the death eater fell lifeless to the ground wand burning in his hand.

"Your master will regret attacking tonight" Harry shouted stunning the remaining death eaters, and rushing through the open doors. Once outside Harry struggled to get his eyes to focus, for the second Harry exited the dark hall he had to shield his eyes. Being that it was now mid morning the sun was shining bright.

The next thing Harry knew he was crashing against the wall of Durmstrang. Feeling the right hand cross his cheek, Harry knew he had been punched from a Giant, for the impact had cracked his shield. Ducking the second blow, and firing ropes from his wand, Harry was lucky to move out of the way, for the Giant, which towered him by close to twenty feet crashed to the ground next to him.

"Wow" he shouted shacking off the impact of the right hook. Realizing that the first impact of the giant had greatly weekend him, Harry wasted little time tracking down his girlfriend. Listening to the sound of marching feet, Harry could see a group of captured order members, and teachers being restrained close to where he was. Realizing that is where Cho was most likely taken, Harry inhaled sharply as he realized they were not being guarded, but tortured and killed.

Scanning the scene quickly, Harry's eyes fell on the heads of three order members. Recognizing them as Bill, Charlie, and Percy Weasley, Harry sat frozen as the three were surrounded by a group of dementors, each with their hoods back preparing to deliver the dementors kiss.

"No" Harry shouted summoning up the most wonderful moment of his life, and conjuring a powerful patranous. Watching as the shimmering stag raced across the lawn, Harry could only pray it worked, for his outburst had cost him dearly, and he was once again under attack, and deatheaters were closing in fast.

"Ah, now whom do we have here" Came the sickening sound of none other than Lucius Malfoy. "We have captured Dumbledore, Remus, Miss Chang, and a bunch of Weasley's being that Miss Chang is here, I am assuming you must be the famous Harry Potter." He spoke confidently walking up to the boy who lived. "And you must be the soulless servant of Voldermort, Lucius Malfoy" Harry responded pulling back the mask on his face, and allowing it to fall to the ground.

"You finally found the courage to come out of hiding did you, I have been picturing this moment for a long time Potter, I once told you that you would suffer the same sticky end as your parents" Lucius spoke as if the battle had been won. "This will insure my position as second in command" he replied raising his wand, and firing the crucactus curse. Harry however did not move as the green sparks approached him, but instead laughed as his body absorbed the curse, only to fire it at the death eater who had attempted grab him.

"You are weak Lucius." Harry stated reaching behind him, and pulling the sword of Gryffindor from its holster. "I however am not weak," He shouted allowing the sun to shimmer over the sword. "When this day is over you will understand what is means to suffer a sticky death. I will show you why Voldermort fears me." He spat the last out, taking down the giant that had attempted to sneak up behind him by driving his sword to the hilt into the beasts' chest. Moving out of the way as the giant fell to the ground, Harry turned once again to Malfoy.

"Your overconfidence will be your destruction Potter" Malfoy hissed ordering the remaining giants and death eaters to attack. Harry however was ready for this, and in a matter of seconds the five remaining deatheaters lay unconscious, and the two of the three giants lay slain. When Harry turned his blood soaked sword on Malfoy, and the last Giant, Harry was not at all surprised to see they had fled.

"Harry" Cho shouted running over, and throwing her arms around him the second he released the binding spell over the group. "Thank the heavens" she stuttered helping her exhausted boyfriend into a small clearing. Staring intently into her deep blue eyes, Harry let out the last bit of energy he had, and seconds later fall into a peaceful black abyss