Chapter 35: Help Arrives

~*~

Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly.

"Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands...well, if I'd known what that wand was going in the world to do..."

[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]

~*~

 Just beyond the circle of death eaters stood Dumbledore. Power seemed to radiate from him like Harry had never seen before. The legion behind him was composed of several teachers. He recognized two, namely Professors McGonagall and Vector. Harry saw the real Mad-eye as well and with him were three or four figures Harry did not recognize though he assumed that they were aurors, or at the very least on his side. Three more figures, slightly smaller than the others, appeared behind Dumbledore and Harry didn't even have to guess who they were.

 "Finite Incantem," bellowed Dumbledore. Harry was very glad to see the Vernon duplicate disappear.

"I believe you've borrowed our young Mr. Potter long enough now, Tom," Dumbledore said. His blue eyes were like ice now. Harry could only remember rare moments when he had seen so much fury in the normally gentle man. It still wasn't open rage though. But then again, controlled fury was often more dangerous.

This suggestion only caused Voldemort to laugh though, "I won't need him much longer. He'll be dead soon enough."

"I think you are mistaken," replied Dumbledore. "ACCIO!"

 Voldemort's wand shot straight into Dumbledore's hand, the one he had apparently acquired just for this occasion. The red snake eyes gleamed with fury at the unexpected move.

"I'm sure you have a spare," said Dumbledore. "You were always a bright student, except for transfiguration of course, but then again we all have our faults."

 Dumbledore waved his wand and Harry watched as several death eaters were transfigured into plush chintz arm chairs.

"Escalio!" cried Voldemort. The spell bounced off an invisible shield surrounding Mad-Eye Moody. One of the chairs rocketed skyward, and then proceeded to fall heavily into the clearing where it shattered.

"Not quite up to snuff yet, are yeh," crowed Mad-Eye, obviously pleased with himself. He shook his head, "You never really learned the concept of vigilance did you?"

 Harry looked at the auror in wonderment, how someone could just mock Voldemort like that was a mystery to him. (When he asked his friends about this later they only gave him a strange look.)

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" shouted Mad-Eye at Harry as a red light nearly missed him.

  It was that moment that hell really broke loose. Death eater after death eater was being revived and curses were being thrown everywhere. Somehow the rescue team managed to get themselves next to Harry. He didn't know how his friends had gotten to be included in it. He'd yell at them for it later.

 A tree branch broke over Ron's head and he watched as Ginny levitated it away at the last second. It burst into flames and then landed on a group of death eaters for a firework finale. That was three down for the count. He wanted to cheer her but now wasn't the time. Duck, left, roll across the ground. Finally he made it to where Dumbledore and his group were standing. The fighting seemed to go on for hours as they tried to ward off the death eaters. Apparently a portkey out wasn't an option or he expected Dumbledore would have done it already.

 He was thankful when during a pause Ginny cast a pain numbing charm on him and then hissed, "You'd better not get yourself killed!"

"Dercapito!" shouted someone and Harry shoved her out of the way.

 They tried not to look at the death eater who had been trying to sneak up on them at the time. Harry felt his stomach twist. One truly amazing thing though was the team work he witnessed. Dumbledore and McGonagall worked together seamlessly, sometimes fighting back to back. Adding in the combined efforts of Mad-Eye Moody, Professor Vector, and the three aurors (who Harry did not know the names of) they actually stood a decent chance of surviving. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny's skills were really surprising though. He'd never thought them so capable, well Hermione maybe but only because he'd seen evidence before. And sure he'd seen Ron and Ginny in action as well. But this? This was different.

 Unfortunately for them though their good chances seemed shot when approximately fifty more death eaters came running from the surrounding forest, apparently having apparated in just outside of the warded clearing.  Now they were circled and things seemed hopeless. They're best strategy seemed to be the one they had at first devised by accident, ducking and hoping they hit the death eaters behind them. Everything continued at a quick pace until one word brought

"Silence!"

 The death eaters fell back into the circle and Voldemort stood in the center once more.

"I'd love to let you take out some more of my followers before I kill you, but I'm afraid that's not just a possibility."

 Harry felt his blood chill. Standing there with his friends, with about a ninety percent chance that some of them would die just wasn't a good feeling at all.

"Another surprise, I think," said Voldemort, twirling his long fingers. "You were right in thinking that the dementors would betray Fudge. It's a pity he didn't listen to you."

 It was then that Harry thought his blood might have chilled for more reason than one. He saw them coming, shapes in the dark, wrapped in cloaks. As they advanced the voices started 'No, not Harry!'... 'Lily! Take Him and Run! Go!'... 'Useless boy, should've chucked you out the day we found you.'... 'Kill the spare.'

 He tried to force himself to think happy thoughts. Sirius freed, Christmas at home. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Dancing with Ginny in the Common Room... "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Kissing her under the mistletoe...

 He watched as the silvery stag shot out of his wand and charged the death eaters, spearing three in a row with its horns and sending it flying. Dumbledore's patronus was next, followed by McGonagall's. The aurors fired them as well and Mad-Eye added his to the mix. Then an otter joined them from Hermione's wand. Ron's chess piece came next, not quite as solid but all the same powerful. Ginny who had never learned actually learned the patronus seemed reluctant to cast it and had to settle for muttering complicated protection charms, which they all realized actually seemed to help.

 Initially they were all enthused by their patronuses, but after having cast them the third time they were exhausted.

"I don't know what to do," Mad-Eye said to Dumbledore. "We can't hold them off much longer."

 Harry found each time that he cast his that the wand in his hand grew heavier, his muscles sorer. A look at his companions told him that their energy was being drained as well. He tried to cast the patronus again, but only managed a thick silver cloud. Hermione's otter made one last round and after that only a row of silvery rings. Ron's wand yielded one silver cloud. In fact, Dumbledore's patronus was the only one that still seemed strong. Mad-Eye's was very visible and the aurors produced three silver fog clouds. The dementors glided toward them and Harry's heart sank.

 Memories poured through all their heads as they closed in. Silent tears streamed down Ginny and Hermione's faces and Ron was shaking like mad. Harry thought his head would explode. The 'Crucia Memorae' had brought more bad memories back to the surface and now they were worse. Tearing him apart inside. There was a blinding rush of misery and then he felt a tight grip on his arm, a brush of coarse fabric. In the distance he heard a scream. At least it seemed a distance away. Maybe it was within his own head.

"Harry!"

 Surely it couldn't be.. it seemed to real. He had been watching with a paralyzing horror as the dementor lifted him. Now he was able to think somewhat rationally. That didn't help him find a solution though. He settled for writhing and kicking now as hard as he could. As the creature's hood fell he heard another shout. This time though it was not his name.

~*~

 The rest of the group watched, those who new how were attempting the patronus. No success was found their though. As the dementor's hood fell Ginny couldn't take it any more.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" she shouted, knowing fully well that it wouldn't work. She didn't care though as it was better than doing nothing. All her energy she concentrated on Harry. She was not going to lose him. The way he put his arm around her, his kisses, the messy black hair, greenest green eyes, the way he smiled. She thought of chess matches she'd played against him, their first kiss, their second first kiss, evenings spent together in the common room. The way his lips fit with hers, or how her body fit with his when she leaned into him. Him. Everything about him.

 To her utter surprise something began to spring from her wand. It wasn't as quick as other patronuses, but it was astounding that she had managed to create at all. A silver figure finally emerged from her wand. It immediately soared forward towards the dementors. The first dementor it made contact with seemed to stand suspended in the clearing before crumbling to nothing. It happened again and again until she finally reached Harry, leaving row upon row of empty black cloaks. The dementor holding Harry fell to the ground. The silver figure then stretched out its arms gracefully, turning in a circle with spread hands. The clearing was filled with silver mist for at least a mile radius. Everyone was captivated by her and as she finished her graceful dance she gave them a gentle smile before fading away. Harry's would be rescuers rushed forward as the area was cleared of dementors. Ginny was the first one there pulled him up with assistance from an auror with a long braid of black hair. She would have sighed aloud with relief when they reached him if she wasn't still in shock.

Lily Potter had saved her son again.