Chapter Twenty-Six- Into the Chamber of Fawkes
"What's going on?" several students asked at once. Everyone in the library was confused, and Harry could hear the panic in several voices.
"Harry, is it V-Voldemort?" Hermione asked, snatching him away from the ear shot of the other students.
Harry nodded.
"He's trying to invade Hogwarts!" Ron hissed.
"Yeah. But, why would he do that when he knows Dumbledore's here?" Harry asked. This in fact was true, unless Voldemort wasn't planning to come here himself. Unless he had more than just Dementors.
"Voldemort isn't that stupid. Surely he knows he doesn't stand a chance against Dumbledore," Hermione said, as several girls screamed for no reason at all.
"Wait a second, Hermione. You've got a point!" Harry said. "Of course Voldemort doesn't stand a chance against Dumbledore, but what do you think about his Death Eaters? They don't care!"
"You're right, but what does he want here?" Hermione asked.
Ron threw her a sharp look. "What have you been researching the last few weeks, Hermione?"
"The orbs? But, they're hidden in the bowels of the school," Hermione said.
"Exactly. And Voldemort's death eaters don't care, do they?" Harry asked.
The library doors opened, and Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, and Snape entered.
"Professor! What's going on? Why are there Dementors out there?" asked a nervous Gryffindor first year.
Professor McGonagall looked very white, and felt like she had no choice but to tell the first year what was going on.
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is invading our school. He has sent Dementors to station themselves around the school, blocking all entrances and exits out of the grounds. The Headmaster wants you all to remain calm."
However, calm was the wrong word for her to use. The students began to scream and panic. Snape looked as though he were going to yell.
"Hagrid, stay here with them. We shall go and check on everyone else," Professor McGonagall said. Hagrid nodded, as he pulled something out of his coat. It was his crossbow. Professor McGonagall and Snape swept from the library.
"We cant let Voldemort get to those orbs!" Ron said.
"I know, I know," Harry said thinking. What he needed right now, was the rest of the D.A. They could be of great assistance at this time, and Harry couldn't believe his eyes, when he looked towards the doors. Most of the D.A was ranged there, and had apparently been looking for him. They rushed over. Harry felt a surge of gratitude for them. However, he noticed one person was missing, and that was Cho.
"Harry! Harry!" Neville called urgently. "They took her! Some Death Eaters took Cho!"
"WHAT?" Harry yelled.
"We were heading out of the Great Hall, and they cast a spell on her. They took her towards the Dungeons!" Ernie said.
The Dungeons? But that was where the Orbs were. Why would the Death Eaters want Cho?
"We've got to do something. We cannot let those Death Eaters and Dementors win! Harry, we're going to fight them!" said Susan Bones.
"Are you sure you're all up to this? I mean, this isn't practice. This is the real thing!" Harry said. "Of course we're ready," said Zacharis Smith, moving through the knot of D.A members. "You've taught us as much as we need to know. We all made a bond to protect each other, and this castle, and now its time for us to live up to our word," he said pulling out his wand. Harry had never smiled at him before, and this was the first time he had ever done so.
"Alright. Now, you guys need to spread out. Block the Entrance Hall, Staircases, common rooms! Whatever you think needs blocking. Good luck!"
The D.A pulled out their wand, saluted to Harry and charged out of the library. Ginny and Neville stayed behind, and Harry was very thankful.
"Alright. We have to get down to Fawke's lair. That's where they took Cho!" Harry said. Everyone nodded. They pulled out their wands, and they all ran out the library, leaving Hagrid trying to calm the other students down.
The Hall was bustling with people. Mostly staff, but then Harry saw someone he recognized quite well. It was Lupin. He was normal again.
"Professor Lupin!" Harry called. Lupin spun around, and darted toward them.
"Harry! What are you all doing out here?"
"We're going to fight off the Dementors!"
"But-"
"They're very well capable to do so, Lupin!" came a familiar voice. It was Professor Dumbledore. He was looking furious, and he had his wand out.
"Professor!" Hermione said.
"Professor, we're going down to Fawke's lair. The Death Eaters took Cho."
"I understand. I only have two members of the Order down there. You all must watch each others backs. Make sure the Death Eaters do not get to the Orbs."
Harry nodded. They turned away from Dumbledore, and headed toward the staircase, and down towards the dungeons. Harry saw some more members of the Order on his way down there. He however, had to continue going. His scar prickled slightly, but he didn't care. They finally reached the Dungeons, and saw that it was clear. They headed to the picture, which lead to the entrance to Fawke's lair. They clambered through and continued running down the narrow passage, until they were inside the chamber with the two phoenix statues, and the wall with the ancient writing.
"Its empty," said Ginny.
"They must've already gone through, come on!" Harry said.
"Not so fast, Potter!" came the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy. Harry quickly spun around. Four death eaters were standing behind Lucius Malfoy. Harry's heart sank, as he saw one of them carrying an unconscious Cho. Her hair was in front of her face, and Harry saw a trickle of blood drop to the floor. "You don't want to leave her behind do you?"
"Let her go!" Harry said, raising his wand out of anger. He felt the others behind him do the same.
"Not a chance!" sneered a death eater, which sounded like the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. She removed her mask and to Harry's astonishment, it was her. However, she looked different. Her hair was now sleek and shiny and her eyes were no longer dead, like they were when she broke out of Azkaban. She raised her wand and quickly cried "Expelliarmus"
Harry's wand, as well as the five others soared high into the air, and away from them.
"Now Potter, it all ends here. You see, your little girlfriend was actually guardian of the Orbs and she-"
"What?" Harry intervened.
"Yes Potter! She, like your parents was also guardian of the orbs. Dumbledore thought it would be a clever move, seeing as he wanted to throw the Dark Lord off his trail, but the Dark Lord always knows!" Bellatrix explained. It couldn't be, thought Harry. Cho was watcher of the Orbs? It just didn't make since to him.
"And now Potter, you die! Avada Kedavra" said Malfoy. Harry felt cold and numb as he watched the light come to him. Suddenly, there was a burst of flame in front of him, and Fawkes had swallowed the Green light. However, he did not burst into flame and become flightless like last year. He was still the same. He screeched loudly.
Suddenly, Harry saw something large burst through the wall leading back to the school. It was a massive figure-Grawp. He took a swing at two death eaters, knocking them off their feet and smashing them into a wall. Lucius Malfoy ducked, and shot a stunning spell at Grawp, but it was ineffective. Grawp took a swing at him, and knocked him into a wall as well. Bellatrix Lestrange threw Cho on the ground, and aimed a redactor curse at the door underneath the Fawkes name. It burst apart, and she dashed off inside of it and disappeared.
"Grawp!" Hermione said in a high voice.
And then something amazing happened. Instead of Grawp saying "Hermy", he said clearly, "Hermione"
"He can speak English?" Ron asked.
Harry dashed over to Cho. He raised her head, and saw that she was still breathing.
"Cho! Wake up! Come on, please wake up!" Harry said, tears leaking out of his eyes. Fawkes glided over, and leaned over the cut that was on her head. He leaked two tears into it, healing it. He then flew off into the door Bellatrix ran through. Cho blinked as she sat up.
"Harry," she said weakly.
"Cho!"
They embraced, and it was only then did Harry realize he had never been more glad to see her in his life.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. But we've got to get inside that chamber. Those Death Eaters cannot get near those orbs!"
"'agrid teach me English!" Grawp said, his voice filling Harry's ears. He looked over.
"That's amazing! But we've got to get inside that Chamber!" Hermione said, as she handed everyone their wands back.
"I stay here! I guard room!" Grawp said.
"Okay. Can you stand, Cho?" Harry asked.
"Yes." She said, as she stood up. "Come on,"
They dashed into the chamber that Bellatrix Lestrange ran in, and heard Fawkes screech. They emerged into a large chamber, big enough to fit a million people inside. Against the walls were statues of Fawkes, and in the dead center the room was a stone basin with three glowing red and orange balls hovering inches above it. Against a wall, pinned by a large statue of Fawkes, was Bellatrix. She was trying her best to throw the statue off of her, but it was much too big.
"Look, are those the orbs?" Ginny asked.
"yeah," said Cho.
Fawkes swooped down and perched himself on the tip of the stone basin.
"I don't think-ARGH!" said Ron, as a jet of red light knocked him off his feet, and across the room. Everyone whipped around. More death eaters had emerged inside, and were raining spells down upon them.
"RUN!" Harry bellowed.
Ginny and Luna dashed off to one side of the Chamber taking refugee behind a pillar. Fawkes was circling over heard, screeching.
Harry and Cho were about to run away, when a jet of white light threw her to one side of the chamber and into a statue.
One death eater aimed a killing curse at Harry but missed only by several inches.
"GET POTTER!" one death eater shouted.
They immediately sent Spells towards Harry and Harry was lucky he had room to duck. He suddenly saw spells aiming at the Death Eaters and saw that his fellow students were emerging from their hiding spots with their wands out.
One spell, sent from Hermione's wand caused a death eater to transfigure into nothing short of a worm.
He other death eaters either became silent and couldn't speak, or were frozen solid, as they were stunned.
"NO!" shouted the death eater who shouted out the orders before. Suddenly, he aimed a killing curse, not at Harry, but at someone Harry was too far away from; Cho Chang.
"What's going on?" several students asked at once. Everyone in the library was confused, and Harry could hear the panic in several voices.
"Harry, is it V-Voldemort?" Hermione asked, snatching him away from the ear shot of the other students.
Harry nodded.
"He's trying to invade Hogwarts!" Ron hissed.
"Yeah. But, why would he do that when he knows Dumbledore's here?" Harry asked. This in fact was true, unless Voldemort wasn't planning to come here himself. Unless he had more than just Dementors.
"Voldemort isn't that stupid. Surely he knows he doesn't stand a chance against Dumbledore," Hermione said, as several girls screamed for no reason at all.
"Wait a second, Hermione. You've got a point!" Harry said. "Of course Voldemort doesn't stand a chance against Dumbledore, but what do you think about his Death Eaters? They don't care!"
"You're right, but what does he want here?" Hermione asked.
Ron threw her a sharp look. "What have you been researching the last few weeks, Hermione?"
"The orbs? But, they're hidden in the bowels of the school," Hermione said.
"Exactly. And Voldemort's death eaters don't care, do they?" Harry asked.
The library doors opened, and Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, and Snape entered.
"Professor! What's going on? Why are there Dementors out there?" asked a nervous Gryffindor first year.
Professor McGonagall looked very white, and felt like she had no choice but to tell the first year what was going on.
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is invading our school. He has sent Dementors to station themselves around the school, blocking all entrances and exits out of the grounds. The Headmaster wants you all to remain calm."
However, calm was the wrong word for her to use. The students began to scream and panic. Snape looked as though he were going to yell.
"Hagrid, stay here with them. We shall go and check on everyone else," Professor McGonagall said. Hagrid nodded, as he pulled something out of his coat. It was his crossbow. Professor McGonagall and Snape swept from the library.
"We cant let Voldemort get to those orbs!" Ron said.
"I know, I know," Harry said thinking. What he needed right now, was the rest of the D.A. They could be of great assistance at this time, and Harry couldn't believe his eyes, when he looked towards the doors. Most of the D.A was ranged there, and had apparently been looking for him. They rushed over. Harry felt a surge of gratitude for them. However, he noticed one person was missing, and that was Cho.
"Harry! Harry!" Neville called urgently. "They took her! Some Death Eaters took Cho!"
"WHAT?" Harry yelled.
"We were heading out of the Great Hall, and they cast a spell on her. They took her towards the Dungeons!" Ernie said.
The Dungeons? But that was where the Orbs were. Why would the Death Eaters want Cho?
"We've got to do something. We cannot let those Death Eaters and Dementors win! Harry, we're going to fight them!" said Susan Bones.
"Are you sure you're all up to this? I mean, this isn't practice. This is the real thing!" Harry said. "Of course we're ready," said Zacharis Smith, moving through the knot of D.A members. "You've taught us as much as we need to know. We all made a bond to protect each other, and this castle, and now its time for us to live up to our word," he said pulling out his wand. Harry had never smiled at him before, and this was the first time he had ever done so.
"Alright. Now, you guys need to spread out. Block the Entrance Hall, Staircases, common rooms! Whatever you think needs blocking. Good luck!"
The D.A pulled out their wand, saluted to Harry and charged out of the library. Ginny and Neville stayed behind, and Harry was very thankful.
"Alright. We have to get down to Fawke's lair. That's where they took Cho!" Harry said. Everyone nodded. They pulled out their wands, and they all ran out the library, leaving Hagrid trying to calm the other students down.
The Hall was bustling with people. Mostly staff, but then Harry saw someone he recognized quite well. It was Lupin. He was normal again.
"Professor Lupin!" Harry called. Lupin spun around, and darted toward them.
"Harry! What are you all doing out here?"
"We're going to fight off the Dementors!"
"But-"
"They're very well capable to do so, Lupin!" came a familiar voice. It was Professor Dumbledore. He was looking furious, and he had his wand out.
"Professor!" Hermione said.
"Professor, we're going down to Fawke's lair. The Death Eaters took Cho."
"I understand. I only have two members of the Order down there. You all must watch each others backs. Make sure the Death Eaters do not get to the Orbs."
Harry nodded. They turned away from Dumbledore, and headed toward the staircase, and down towards the dungeons. Harry saw some more members of the Order on his way down there. He however, had to continue going. His scar prickled slightly, but he didn't care. They finally reached the Dungeons, and saw that it was clear. They headed to the picture, which lead to the entrance to Fawke's lair. They clambered through and continued running down the narrow passage, until they were inside the chamber with the two phoenix statues, and the wall with the ancient writing.
"Its empty," said Ginny.
"They must've already gone through, come on!" Harry said.
"Not so fast, Potter!" came the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy. Harry quickly spun around. Four death eaters were standing behind Lucius Malfoy. Harry's heart sank, as he saw one of them carrying an unconscious Cho. Her hair was in front of her face, and Harry saw a trickle of blood drop to the floor. "You don't want to leave her behind do you?"
"Let her go!" Harry said, raising his wand out of anger. He felt the others behind him do the same.
"Not a chance!" sneered a death eater, which sounded like the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. She removed her mask and to Harry's astonishment, it was her. However, she looked different. Her hair was now sleek and shiny and her eyes were no longer dead, like they were when she broke out of Azkaban. She raised her wand and quickly cried "Expelliarmus"
Harry's wand, as well as the five others soared high into the air, and away from them.
"Now Potter, it all ends here. You see, your little girlfriend was actually guardian of the Orbs and she-"
"What?" Harry intervened.
"Yes Potter! She, like your parents was also guardian of the orbs. Dumbledore thought it would be a clever move, seeing as he wanted to throw the Dark Lord off his trail, but the Dark Lord always knows!" Bellatrix explained. It couldn't be, thought Harry. Cho was watcher of the Orbs? It just didn't make since to him.
"And now Potter, you die! Avada Kedavra" said Malfoy. Harry felt cold and numb as he watched the light come to him. Suddenly, there was a burst of flame in front of him, and Fawkes had swallowed the Green light. However, he did not burst into flame and become flightless like last year. He was still the same. He screeched loudly.
Suddenly, Harry saw something large burst through the wall leading back to the school. It was a massive figure-Grawp. He took a swing at two death eaters, knocking them off their feet and smashing them into a wall. Lucius Malfoy ducked, and shot a stunning spell at Grawp, but it was ineffective. Grawp took a swing at him, and knocked him into a wall as well. Bellatrix Lestrange threw Cho on the ground, and aimed a redactor curse at the door underneath the Fawkes name. It burst apart, and she dashed off inside of it and disappeared.
"Grawp!" Hermione said in a high voice.
And then something amazing happened. Instead of Grawp saying "Hermy", he said clearly, "Hermione"
"He can speak English?" Ron asked.
Harry dashed over to Cho. He raised her head, and saw that she was still breathing.
"Cho! Wake up! Come on, please wake up!" Harry said, tears leaking out of his eyes. Fawkes glided over, and leaned over the cut that was on her head. He leaked two tears into it, healing it. He then flew off into the door Bellatrix ran through. Cho blinked as she sat up.
"Harry," she said weakly.
"Cho!"
They embraced, and it was only then did Harry realize he had never been more glad to see her in his life.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. But we've got to get inside that chamber. Those Death Eaters cannot get near those orbs!"
"'agrid teach me English!" Grawp said, his voice filling Harry's ears. He looked over.
"That's amazing! But we've got to get inside that Chamber!" Hermione said, as she handed everyone their wands back.
"I stay here! I guard room!" Grawp said.
"Okay. Can you stand, Cho?" Harry asked.
"Yes." She said, as she stood up. "Come on,"
They dashed into the chamber that Bellatrix Lestrange ran in, and heard Fawkes screech. They emerged into a large chamber, big enough to fit a million people inside. Against the walls were statues of Fawkes, and in the dead center the room was a stone basin with three glowing red and orange balls hovering inches above it. Against a wall, pinned by a large statue of Fawkes, was Bellatrix. She was trying her best to throw the statue off of her, but it was much too big.
"Look, are those the orbs?" Ginny asked.
"yeah," said Cho.
Fawkes swooped down and perched himself on the tip of the stone basin.
"I don't think-ARGH!" said Ron, as a jet of red light knocked him off his feet, and across the room. Everyone whipped around. More death eaters had emerged inside, and were raining spells down upon them.
"RUN!" Harry bellowed.
Ginny and Luna dashed off to one side of the Chamber taking refugee behind a pillar. Fawkes was circling over heard, screeching.
Harry and Cho were about to run away, when a jet of white light threw her to one side of the chamber and into a statue.
One death eater aimed a killing curse at Harry but missed only by several inches.
"GET POTTER!" one death eater shouted.
They immediately sent Spells towards Harry and Harry was lucky he had room to duck. He suddenly saw spells aiming at the Death Eaters and saw that his fellow students were emerging from their hiding spots with their wands out.
One spell, sent from Hermione's wand caused a death eater to transfigure into nothing short of a worm.
He other death eaters either became silent and couldn't speak, or were frozen solid, as they were stunned.
"NO!" shouted the death eater who shouted out the orders before. Suddenly, he aimed a killing curse, not at Harry, but at someone Harry was too far away from; Cho Chang.