Chapter 10- Battle at Hogwarts
The weeks after the game passed too quickly, as the O.W.L.'s were approaching. Harry, Helena, Ron and Hermione were usually in the common room, gathered around a table, studying. All too soon the week of the O.W.L.'s arrived. Monday in the morning, Harry, Ron and Helena had to improvise for half an hour at the Divination exam. Meanwhile, Hermione was having fun with the Arithmancy teacher, who offered her a tea, as she was so good, she didn't need to be tested. In the afternoon, they went to Care of Magical Creatures. Norbert was now huge. Hagrid told them to separate in teams of four and then, to get top marks, they had to discover Norbert's wound and heal it. Indeed, Norbert had a small stick in his foot, and, endangering their lives, Harry and Ron succeeded to lift it and then Helena and Hermione applied a healing charm. It worked and Hagrid beamed at them saying: - I knew yeh could do it!!! Tuesday was the day for the Charms exam. Professor Flittwick had prepared a pretty nasty exam. They had to successfully use the Stoneskin and Invisibility charms. Harry somehow succeeded without any problem, and even professor Flittwick didn't succeed to dispel the charms. Ron did almost as well, only that his Stoneskin resembled marble and the Invisibility charm only half worked, because Ron kept reappearing for a few seconds... Hermione's charms worked, but professor Flittwick dispelled the effortlessly. - You have to concentrate more, child... he told Hermione. Helena was the only one who didn't participate, as these charms were too complicated for her. Wednesday was the of the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. Professor Flittwick tested them at Energy Curses. But when he reached Harry he said: - Harry Potter! Oh, you... you don't have to prove anything... There was a slight trail of fear in his voice and Harry smiled and exited the class. Thursday was the most difficult day as they had Transfiguration exam in the morning and History of Magic in the afternoon. Fortunately, using his Telepathic skills, Harry copied everything from Helena and Hermione's minds into his and Ron's. As for the Transfiguration exam, it went pretty well. Harry had realized how the clone had conjured that sword. He had simply transfigured the molecules of Oxygen and Hydrogen from the air. It was something they had been practicing the whole year. And now, at the exam, Harry succeeded to Transfigure the molecules into the most beautiful cloak professor McGonnagal had seen. It was golden and had with red markings on it. She soon realized the cloak imbues the wearer with certain very useful qualities like a great strength, doubled speed and increased concentration power. Friday morning Harry woke up round six. It was the day of his final exam. Potions. Harry was particularly afraid of this exam, as Snape hinted they would have to brew a Veritaserum which was going to be used on one of them.
Harry walked towards the window. There he stood for a moment admiring the view. White-gray fog was drifting over the large field in front of the castle. The tents of the ministry Aurors were only blurred outlines against the ground. At the left, the lake seemed covered with the same white-gray, misty blanket, like a cauldron boiling for a long time. Somewhere in the middle of the lake, the Giant Squid was weakly swimming in circles. Nothing moved. Harry felt a chill down his spine. And then, suddenly, a great explosion seemed to take place in the Forest, as hundreds of birds took off. Harry's heart stopped for a moment. And then a wave of red sparks erupted above the trees as an almost inhuman sound filled the air. Harry froze. Suddenly, Aurors began to emerge from the tents and gather in long, straight lines. Above the castle hundreds of Hippogriff riders appeared and headed towards the forest. Harry saw Sirius somewhere on the left, leading a small company to cover the flank. And then, at the edge of the Forbidden Forest black shadows began to appear. And suddenly, from deep within the Forest a great, burning boulder, coming from a catapult, roared towards the castle and Harry realized it was the day of the attack. Very soon, professor McGonnagal appeared in the common room. All Gryffindors were taken to the Great Hall. There, sitting at their house tables were only the Slytherins, who seemed pretty relaxed. After the Gryffindors, the Ravenclaw's arrived and were soon followed by the Huflepuffs. Harry, Helena, Ron and Hermione watched as a very shaken- looking professor McGonnagal spoke: - Students! Lord Voldemort is attacking Hogwarts. We didn't expect the attack so soon, but hopefully we will all be fine at the end of the day. Here she did something no one expected. She lifted her hand and did a cross. - Professor Dumbledore is now leading the defense. You will all stay here until the battle ends. Mr. Potter, will you please come here, I have something to tell you. Harry walked towards the teacher's table, conscious of the sea of eyes that was watching him. - Yes, Professor? he whispered. - Professor Dumbledore told me to take you to him. If you need or want someone to come with you, he said you may bring them... - Ok, professor, I'll be right back. Harry thought for a moment and then went to Ron, Helena and Hermione: - Dumbledore wants me to go to him. He said you can come along. - Ok, let's go, answered Hermione. They started towards professor McGonnagal but were stopped by Colin Creevy who said: - Harry, may I come with you? Harry thought for a moment but then said: - Sure. Professor McGonnagal led them through a maize of corridors towards the highest tower of the castle. They entered a fairly big room, covered by a glass dome. There, Dumbledore was standing in front of a small table. A big pair of binoculars, probably magical was standing next to a set of maps covered with complex drawings. Dumbledore was holding a small flame in his hand and was talking to it: - Companies XX and XXI, faster to the left! Remus, are your forces prepared? - Yes! - Ok, be ready to strike at any time! Oh, Harry! Welcome. Please do not interrupt me! Take a seat and watch... With a swish of his wand, Dumbledore conjured five chairs. Harry walked towards the glass dome and looked outside. The battle was about to start. At the edge of the forest, about four hundred Death-Eaters had appeared. They were waiting patiently. On the other side, about three hundred fifty Aurors of the ministry were in place. Fifty Hippogriff riders were circling above the Aurors waiting for a sign. And within the forest, there was still movement. On the road that led towards Hogsmeade Harry saw the most impressive sight ever. About one hundred Giants, led by a great dark-bearded colossus were heading for the front line. Each Giant had a great cleaver in his hand, some wore helmets and boots. The leader had a great, golden Helm, with ancient runes inscribed on it, gigantic boots made of something that looked like Dragon intestines and an impressive silver armor. In his hands he held a great hammer. - Oh my god! Hermione whispered. - What? Ron asked. - The Hammer! The Armor, Helm and Boots! This are Thor's Vestements! Everybody looked questioningly at her except Dumbledore who turned around looking impressed. - How did you realize that, Mrs. Granger? - The Runes, professor. Dumbledore smiled and then frowned again, as he returned to study the battlefield. At the edge of the forest huge shapes began to appear, almost as big as the giants. - So, what's the big deal about Thor's... asked Ron. - Thor's Vestements. Clothes in French. They are almost as old as the world! Thor is the God of Thunder. Thor's Hammer is a legend in the Muggle world! In fact it has several powerful enchantments upon it that make it special. - Like what? - Well, for starters, it strikes with lightning. The strike is deadly. Like the Avada Kedavra. The only problem is, it can strike only once in three hours. Then, the boots are enchanted with speed. The Helm renders the wearer's head completely invulnerable and the Armor greatly increases his strength. Harry, Ron and Colin looked bewildered at Hermione. Meanwhile, important changes had taken place on the battlefield. In Voldemort's first line, in front of the death eaters, some of the most impressive and horrible creatures had appeared. The Cyclops. They were much bigger than humans, but shorter than the giants. They all wore golden armors, helmets and boots. Each of them held a short, but very sharp sword. Meanwhile, about ten Aurors formed a circle around the walls of Hogwarts. Dumbledore checked if they were all in place, and then whispered to his flame: - Now, Arabella! Suddenly, the Aurors lifted their wands and screamed something. A white- gray transparent fog lifted and soon created a sphere around the castle. Harry realized it was a shield, as the flaming boulders coming from the catapults within the forest dissolved as they touched the fog. And then, Dumbledore said: - It is time, Hagrid! Go! Bardok, you may commence the attack. Sirius, Alastor, secure the flanks! Arabella, hold the shield for about ten minutes in place. Remus, come closer and wait for my go! Charlie, be ready to strike at any moment! He paused for a moment and breathed in deeply and then said: - Towards all forces, this is the General speaking. The moment has come! Be brave and have faith in god. Commence the attack! With a deafening roar the Giants started towards the Cyclops. Behind them, the Aurors began to move. The Hippogriff riders dived suddenly. The Death- Eaters lifted their wands. Eight Aurors fell, leaving their Hippogriffs floating randomly above the battlefield. But thirteen Death-Eaters were lifted between the claws of the Hippogriffs. Meanwhile, something was happening in the Forest. Suddenly, a small group of Cyclops appeared. They were being driven back by something. Their leader turned around as a gigantic spider jumped upon him. He lifted his sword and succeeded to cut off the spiders legs. And then he turned around to say something to a Death- Eater who approached him. Harry read his mind: - We were attacked by these giant spiders! They were under the lead of a half-giant who has an almost perfect aim! Only my flashes allowed us to fall back! - How long till they'll be here? - One, two minutes... not more... - Damn. I have no time to... With a horrible sound, the Death-Eater Harry had somehow recognized as being Avery was thrown back by the arrow coming from Hagrid's crossbow. The Cyclops who was talking to him turned around scared. Harry suddenly realized he had to be the Cyclops King. Hagrid lifted the crossbow again, aiming for his eye. And then a blinding flash of light emerged out of it. Hagrid's arrow missed its target as Hagrid fell face-forward to the ground clutching his eyes. The King lifted his Sword. - HAGRID, NO!!! Harry screamed but then four gigantic spiders appeared from the forest and grabbed Hagrid, just in time. And then about one hundred other spiders appeared. The King and the other Cyclops retreated hastily. And then, the spiders stopped as if petrified. Because about three hundred meters away, a large group of gigantic snakes had left the forest. In front of them was their leader, Nagini, and near her was a black-hooded Death- Eater. He was short and somehow skinny, but nevertheless his powers were great. He was the son and heir of Lord Voldemort. Suddenly, the situation changed. The spiders retreated chaotically as the Basilisks charged towards them. - Tell them to come back... said Voldemort's son to Nagini is a low, cold hiss. Attack the Aurors. You too, King. These are the orders of my father. The Cyclops King bowed and charged towards a giant. With a blinding flash of light from his eye, the situation changed again. Giants and Aurors stumbled back blinded. Dumbledore went as white as chalk and then screamed into his flame: - Moody!!! Heal the leader of the giants! Somewhere on the edge of the battlefield, Moody heard Dumbledore's voice and reacted. A small, thin, blue light emerged from his wand and hit Bardok, the leader of the Giants in the face. Suddenly he lifted his head and his Hammer. He looked around for a moment and then he spotted the Cyclops King. With a deafening roar Bardok charged at him. Thin bolts of lightning appeared on the surface of the Hammer as Bardok screamed: - I call upon the Great God of Thunder, Thor! With these words, a great Lightning Bolt formed around the Hammer and Bardok released it upon the King. The whole battle stopped for a moment as the scream that followed filled the air. Everyone watched as the great Cyclops King was turned into a small pile of ash. Only Voldemort's son stood in front of Bardok and said: - You missed. Avada Kedavra! The familiar green light emerged from his wand and hit Bardok who slowly fell to the ground. The earth trembled under his weight. All giants seemed stunned for a moment, but then one of them cried: - Bardok, father, I will avenge you! And he charged at Voldemort's son. The other giants charged at the Cyclops. The battle began again. Now the Aurors and the Death-Eaters joined the battle. Curses were flying everywhere. The green light of the Avada Kedavra was dominant, but, because of the chaos most shots were misses. Soon, it was evident that the forces of Voldemort were winning. Many Aurors were still fighting among the giants, and the number of Cyclops was visibly diminished. But the Basilisks had done much damage, almost as much as the Death-Eaters and there were plenty of both of them left. Dumbledore had a worried look on his face. And then, to everyone's surprise he lifted his hand with the flame and said: - Everyone, retreat! Harry's jaw dropped. "What?" he thought, "Dumbledore is retreating?" And indeed, the Aurors and the Giants began to retreat leaving the edge of the forest and the road to Hogsmeade behind. The Death-Eaters followed them with cries of glory. Dumbledore slowly closed his eyes and his head dropped as he muttered something that sounded like a prayer. And somewhere far, on the battlefield, a small figure lifted its head smiling. - You really thought you could defeat my father, Harry Potter? Voldemort's son asked as he slowly began to walk towards the gates of Hogwarts. A few moments passed. Harry, Helena, Ron, Hermione and Colin were looking at Dumbledore. Dumbledore just stood there with his fists clenched, eyes closed and a sweat drop slowly sliding down his forehead. Meanwhile, the distance between the battle and the castle had diminished. The Aurors were trying desperately to hold back the Death-Eaters and Basilisks, but didn't stand a chance. Voldemort's son was waiting patiently ten meters behind the battle and, from time to time, was perfectly aiming an Avada Kedavra at the Hippogriff riders who were still causing severe damage to the Death-Eaters.
And then Dumbledore lifted his head. And smiled. - Remus, now! he said to his flame. Harry looked at the battlefield. Nothing had changed. But very soon, at the back of the Death-Eaters, on the road to Hogsmeade, reinforcements arrived. About two hundred Aurors and one hundred giants were charging with Lupin in the lead. Voldemort's son turned around and screamed: - Nagini! Malfoy! And then he disappeared. Half of the Death-Eaters turned around. So did the Basilisks. And the battle began again, more fierce than before. Soon, Voldemort's son appeared again, on one side of the battlefield and continued to observe. He seemed strangely calm, as his father's forces began to lose. Soon, they were driven back towards the Quidditch pitch. Dumbledore grabbed his binoculars and began to scan the field. His sight stopped on the face of Voldemort's son. He was smiling. Dumbledore frowned. And then Harry said: - Up, above the forest!!! About ten black-reddish shapes were rapidly approaching the battlefield. Dumbledore lifted the binoculars and gasped. - I should have known... - What are those, professor? asked Colin. Dumbledore didn't answer. But soon, 10 Manticores were perfectly visible above the battlefield. They were horrible creatures, a combination between lion and scorpion, with bat wings. They were never tamed or controlled, but now, somehow, Voldemort succeeded to tame ten of them. Soon, the odds changed again. The Manticores were doing incredible damage among the Aurors and especially giants, who were a perfect pray for their poisonous sting. Most of the Hippogriff riders retreated and were soon followed by the whole army. The Death-Eaters and Basilisks, though almost decimated, were enough to support the attacks of the Manticore riders. Dumbledore was pale. He clenched his fists again and then said: - It is time for my last move... Harry looked at him and then felt something... Dumbledore lifted his hand and spoke in the flame: - Charlie! Go... - Charlie? Ron said amazed. Harry meanwhile, was scanning the battlefield. He had felt something... Something was missing. The surprise attack, and Voldemort. The Aurors were slowly retreating towards the castle Harry caught a glimpse of Sirius on one flank of the battle. And then everything froze as a huge roar filled the air. Voldemort's son went white as, above the lake, five black, beautiful Dragons appeared. With amazing speed, the Dragons approached the Manticores. Harry spotted Charlie on the back of a Romanian Darkblood. He was in front of all the others. He charged at a man Harry recognized as being Anthony Helwig. But the flames narrowly missed the tail of the Manticore who dived. Charlie dived after him. A group of Death-Eaters ran away, screaming, as the Manticore pulled out of the dive only a few meters away from the earth followed closely by a jet of flames that left a fuming crater behind. Charlie's Darkblood almost hit the earth as he pulled out of the dive and headed towards Helwig. meanwhile, the other Dragon Riders succeeded to split Voldemort's forces. The Death-Eaters were now scattered all over the battlefield. Small groups of Aurors were following them. And then Harry understood. The surprise attack was coming. There was little time left. Without Dumbledore noticing, he opened the door and exited the Command Center. But Helena had seen him. - Stop! Harry, where are you going? Running down the staircase, towards the exit, Harry yelled: - There's no time now! And then he was gone. As he passed the Great Hall, he heard the roar of the students who were cheering, as Charlie succeeded to transform Anthony Helwig and his Manticore into a flaming boulder. Unobserved by anybody, he opened the castle gates and realized he was too late. On the other road towards Hogsmeade, the one around the lake, Albert Lestrange had appeared. Behind him, the remaining forces of Lord Voldemort were slowly gliding towards the fear-frozen Aurors. Harry felt the familiar, icy cold penetrating his insides as about three hundred Dementors were sucking all happiness out of him. And there, at Albert Lestrange's feet, Harry saw Sirius, kneeling and screaming: - No, please, NOOOO!!! Albert Lestrange grinned evilly as a Dementor approached Sirius. Harry started to run towards them, but it was too late. The Dementor lowered his hood and lifted Sirius. - NOOOOO!!!!!!! Harry screamed as Sirius's body fell to the ground, like an empty shell, his soul lost forever within the insides of a Dementor. For a moment everything stopped for Harry. Everything seemed lost. Sirius was gone. Behind him, Ron, Helena and Hermione appeared. Harry looked towards them desperately as if asking for help. But they were just looking back at him. And then Helena smiled. And he remembered. "You know Harry, when you kill a Dementor, he releases all the souls he had imprisoned. And if the body is somewhere close, the soul can return to it..." Crouch had said. But then, Harry realized there was only one way he knew of getting rid of a Dementor, and that was the Patronus. He felt anger building up inside him. Sirius was dead, and there was no way of bringing him back... But there as still something left. The Avada Kedavra. But Harry was too weak to cast it... No he wasn't! His clone had cast it, why couldn't he? All these thought crossed Harry's mind in an instant. And then, he lifted his wand towards the Dementor who had "kissed" Sirius and was now approaching him. With a dark, low voice, Harry whispered: - Avada Kedavra! And he concentrated his power. He wanted to kill. A few green sparks emerged from the tip of the wand, but they dropped soon afterwards. The Dementor was very near. Harry almost panicked, but then anger took over him, guiding his moves. He lifted the wand again, looked straight into the face of the Dementor and shouted: - AVADA KEDAVRA!!! A binding, green light filled the air. The Dementor stopped. He had time just to look around towards the other Dementors and let out a piercing sound like a banshees scream, and then he was hit. His whole body was bathed in green light and began to twirl madly. And then, an almost inhuman scream filled the air, the scream of thousands of people imprisoned for a too long time. Slowly, dark ghosts emerged from the body of the Dementor and dissolved into the sunlight. And then, at the end, Sirius appeared too. His ghost wasn't dark yet, and he looked around desperately, not knowing what had happened. Soon, his ghost began to dissolve too. - NOOOO!!! Harry shouted, but Sirius shook his head helplessly.
And Harry understood. The body was too far!
- Accio Body! he yelled.
And as the body approached the dying Dementor, Sirius's ghost disappeared. For a terrible moment, Harry thought it had not worked. But then, Sirius moved. Harry ran towards him. - Sirius! Are you ok? - Harry? Harry, what have you done? - I've killed the Dementor. - You.... And then, a wave of weakness swept over Sirius, making him feint. Harry looked a him for a moment. And then, he raised his had frowning. His anger was almost touchable. Everything on the battlefield froze. Albert Lestrange's eyes widened with fear as Harry approached him and said: - You! And then, he raised his wand and, in the same low, dark voice whispered: - Vis Orbis! - RUN!!! someone screamed. But it was already too late. The Sphere started with amazing speed towards Lestrange. - NOOOOO!!! he screamed, as the white, blinding light filled the air. The explosion was immense. A deafening roar filled the air and everyone was thrown back by its force. Harry alone just stood there and let the blast pass through him. As the smoke cleared the view was terrible. A huge crater remained where Albert Lestrange had been. And on its edge, Harry Potter was standing, with a triumphant smile on his face. He looked up and, on the other side of the crater, saw the Dementors head towards him. He smiled evilly and then said: - Expecto Patronum! The big, silvery-gray stag emerged from Harry's wand and charged at the Dementors. Soon, they were desperately retreating. The battle continued, with both forces seriously diminished, but soon it was clear that Voldemort's forces were losing. The Dragon-Riders had succeeded to get rid of all the Manticores and were now charging at the helpless Death-Eaters. Meanwhile, Harry called Hermione, Helena and Ron to help him lift Sirius's body and take it to the Hospital Wing. Hermione conjured a stretcher and then, they lifted it. As they were walking towards the castle gates, Ron said: - Um, Harry... - What! Harry snapped. - Um... Congratulations... - Yeah, whatever! Harry was still boiling with anger. He wanted to kill. And then, at one window of the castle he saw Fred, George, Cho and Ginny, all smiling and waving happily at him. He looked around and recognized Ron's, Hermione's and Helena's faces, all looking worried at him. And he understood that anger is useless. Suddenly he calmed down, and the urge to kill disappeared. And then, a high-pitched voice, coming from behind him, said: - Potter! We meet again... Voldemort had finally arrived.
The weeks after the game passed too quickly, as the O.W.L.'s were approaching. Harry, Helena, Ron and Hermione were usually in the common room, gathered around a table, studying. All too soon the week of the O.W.L.'s arrived. Monday in the morning, Harry, Ron and Helena had to improvise for half an hour at the Divination exam. Meanwhile, Hermione was having fun with the Arithmancy teacher, who offered her a tea, as she was so good, she didn't need to be tested. In the afternoon, they went to Care of Magical Creatures. Norbert was now huge. Hagrid told them to separate in teams of four and then, to get top marks, they had to discover Norbert's wound and heal it. Indeed, Norbert had a small stick in his foot, and, endangering their lives, Harry and Ron succeeded to lift it and then Helena and Hermione applied a healing charm. It worked and Hagrid beamed at them saying: - I knew yeh could do it!!! Tuesday was the day for the Charms exam. Professor Flittwick had prepared a pretty nasty exam. They had to successfully use the Stoneskin and Invisibility charms. Harry somehow succeeded without any problem, and even professor Flittwick didn't succeed to dispel the charms. Ron did almost as well, only that his Stoneskin resembled marble and the Invisibility charm only half worked, because Ron kept reappearing for a few seconds... Hermione's charms worked, but professor Flittwick dispelled the effortlessly. - You have to concentrate more, child... he told Hermione. Helena was the only one who didn't participate, as these charms were too complicated for her. Wednesday was the of the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. Professor Flittwick tested them at Energy Curses. But when he reached Harry he said: - Harry Potter! Oh, you... you don't have to prove anything... There was a slight trail of fear in his voice and Harry smiled and exited the class. Thursday was the most difficult day as they had Transfiguration exam in the morning and History of Magic in the afternoon. Fortunately, using his Telepathic skills, Harry copied everything from Helena and Hermione's minds into his and Ron's. As for the Transfiguration exam, it went pretty well. Harry had realized how the clone had conjured that sword. He had simply transfigured the molecules of Oxygen and Hydrogen from the air. It was something they had been practicing the whole year. And now, at the exam, Harry succeeded to Transfigure the molecules into the most beautiful cloak professor McGonnagal had seen. It was golden and had with red markings on it. She soon realized the cloak imbues the wearer with certain very useful qualities like a great strength, doubled speed and increased concentration power. Friday morning Harry woke up round six. It was the day of his final exam. Potions. Harry was particularly afraid of this exam, as Snape hinted they would have to brew a Veritaserum which was going to be used on one of them.
Harry walked towards the window. There he stood for a moment admiring the view. White-gray fog was drifting over the large field in front of the castle. The tents of the ministry Aurors were only blurred outlines against the ground. At the left, the lake seemed covered with the same white-gray, misty blanket, like a cauldron boiling for a long time. Somewhere in the middle of the lake, the Giant Squid was weakly swimming in circles. Nothing moved. Harry felt a chill down his spine. And then, suddenly, a great explosion seemed to take place in the Forest, as hundreds of birds took off. Harry's heart stopped for a moment. And then a wave of red sparks erupted above the trees as an almost inhuman sound filled the air. Harry froze. Suddenly, Aurors began to emerge from the tents and gather in long, straight lines. Above the castle hundreds of Hippogriff riders appeared and headed towards the forest. Harry saw Sirius somewhere on the left, leading a small company to cover the flank. And then, at the edge of the Forbidden Forest black shadows began to appear. And suddenly, from deep within the Forest a great, burning boulder, coming from a catapult, roared towards the castle and Harry realized it was the day of the attack. Very soon, professor McGonnagal appeared in the common room. All Gryffindors were taken to the Great Hall. There, sitting at their house tables were only the Slytherins, who seemed pretty relaxed. After the Gryffindors, the Ravenclaw's arrived and were soon followed by the Huflepuffs. Harry, Helena, Ron and Hermione watched as a very shaken- looking professor McGonnagal spoke: - Students! Lord Voldemort is attacking Hogwarts. We didn't expect the attack so soon, but hopefully we will all be fine at the end of the day. Here she did something no one expected. She lifted her hand and did a cross. - Professor Dumbledore is now leading the defense. You will all stay here until the battle ends. Mr. Potter, will you please come here, I have something to tell you. Harry walked towards the teacher's table, conscious of the sea of eyes that was watching him. - Yes, Professor? he whispered. - Professor Dumbledore told me to take you to him. If you need or want someone to come with you, he said you may bring them... - Ok, professor, I'll be right back. Harry thought for a moment and then went to Ron, Helena and Hermione: - Dumbledore wants me to go to him. He said you can come along. - Ok, let's go, answered Hermione. They started towards professor McGonnagal but were stopped by Colin Creevy who said: - Harry, may I come with you? Harry thought for a moment but then said: - Sure. Professor McGonnagal led them through a maize of corridors towards the highest tower of the castle. They entered a fairly big room, covered by a glass dome. There, Dumbledore was standing in front of a small table. A big pair of binoculars, probably magical was standing next to a set of maps covered with complex drawings. Dumbledore was holding a small flame in his hand and was talking to it: - Companies XX and XXI, faster to the left! Remus, are your forces prepared? - Yes! - Ok, be ready to strike at any time! Oh, Harry! Welcome. Please do not interrupt me! Take a seat and watch... With a swish of his wand, Dumbledore conjured five chairs. Harry walked towards the glass dome and looked outside. The battle was about to start. At the edge of the forest, about four hundred Death-Eaters had appeared. They were waiting patiently. On the other side, about three hundred fifty Aurors of the ministry were in place. Fifty Hippogriff riders were circling above the Aurors waiting for a sign. And within the forest, there was still movement. On the road that led towards Hogsmeade Harry saw the most impressive sight ever. About one hundred Giants, led by a great dark-bearded colossus were heading for the front line. Each Giant had a great cleaver in his hand, some wore helmets and boots. The leader had a great, golden Helm, with ancient runes inscribed on it, gigantic boots made of something that looked like Dragon intestines and an impressive silver armor. In his hands he held a great hammer. - Oh my god! Hermione whispered. - What? Ron asked. - The Hammer! The Armor, Helm and Boots! This are Thor's Vestements! Everybody looked questioningly at her except Dumbledore who turned around looking impressed. - How did you realize that, Mrs. Granger? - The Runes, professor. Dumbledore smiled and then frowned again, as he returned to study the battlefield. At the edge of the forest huge shapes began to appear, almost as big as the giants. - So, what's the big deal about Thor's... asked Ron. - Thor's Vestements. Clothes in French. They are almost as old as the world! Thor is the God of Thunder. Thor's Hammer is a legend in the Muggle world! In fact it has several powerful enchantments upon it that make it special. - Like what? - Well, for starters, it strikes with lightning. The strike is deadly. Like the Avada Kedavra. The only problem is, it can strike only once in three hours. Then, the boots are enchanted with speed. The Helm renders the wearer's head completely invulnerable and the Armor greatly increases his strength. Harry, Ron and Colin looked bewildered at Hermione. Meanwhile, important changes had taken place on the battlefield. In Voldemort's first line, in front of the death eaters, some of the most impressive and horrible creatures had appeared. The Cyclops. They were much bigger than humans, but shorter than the giants. They all wore golden armors, helmets and boots. Each of them held a short, but very sharp sword. Meanwhile, about ten Aurors formed a circle around the walls of Hogwarts. Dumbledore checked if they were all in place, and then whispered to his flame: - Now, Arabella! Suddenly, the Aurors lifted their wands and screamed something. A white- gray transparent fog lifted and soon created a sphere around the castle. Harry realized it was a shield, as the flaming boulders coming from the catapults within the forest dissolved as they touched the fog. And then, Dumbledore said: - It is time, Hagrid! Go! Bardok, you may commence the attack. Sirius, Alastor, secure the flanks! Arabella, hold the shield for about ten minutes in place. Remus, come closer and wait for my go! Charlie, be ready to strike at any moment! He paused for a moment and breathed in deeply and then said: - Towards all forces, this is the General speaking. The moment has come! Be brave and have faith in god. Commence the attack! With a deafening roar the Giants started towards the Cyclops. Behind them, the Aurors began to move. The Hippogriff riders dived suddenly. The Death- Eaters lifted their wands. Eight Aurors fell, leaving their Hippogriffs floating randomly above the battlefield. But thirteen Death-Eaters were lifted between the claws of the Hippogriffs. Meanwhile, something was happening in the Forest. Suddenly, a small group of Cyclops appeared. They were being driven back by something. Their leader turned around as a gigantic spider jumped upon him. He lifted his sword and succeeded to cut off the spiders legs. And then he turned around to say something to a Death- Eater who approached him. Harry read his mind: - We were attacked by these giant spiders! They were under the lead of a half-giant who has an almost perfect aim! Only my flashes allowed us to fall back! - How long till they'll be here? - One, two minutes... not more... - Damn. I have no time to... With a horrible sound, the Death-Eater Harry had somehow recognized as being Avery was thrown back by the arrow coming from Hagrid's crossbow. The Cyclops who was talking to him turned around scared. Harry suddenly realized he had to be the Cyclops King. Hagrid lifted the crossbow again, aiming for his eye. And then a blinding flash of light emerged out of it. Hagrid's arrow missed its target as Hagrid fell face-forward to the ground clutching his eyes. The King lifted his Sword. - HAGRID, NO!!! Harry screamed but then four gigantic spiders appeared from the forest and grabbed Hagrid, just in time. And then about one hundred other spiders appeared. The King and the other Cyclops retreated hastily. And then, the spiders stopped as if petrified. Because about three hundred meters away, a large group of gigantic snakes had left the forest. In front of them was their leader, Nagini, and near her was a black-hooded Death- Eater. He was short and somehow skinny, but nevertheless his powers were great. He was the son and heir of Lord Voldemort. Suddenly, the situation changed. The spiders retreated chaotically as the Basilisks charged towards them. - Tell them to come back... said Voldemort's son to Nagini is a low, cold hiss. Attack the Aurors. You too, King. These are the orders of my father. The Cyclops King bowed and charged towards a giant. With a blinding flash of light from his eye, the situation changed again. Giants and Aurors stumbled back blinded. Dumbledore went as white as chalk and then screamed into his flame: - Moody!!! Heal the leader of the giants! Somewhere on the edge of the battlefield, Moody heard Dumbledore's voice and reacted. A small, thin, blue light emerged from his wand and hit Bardok, the leader of the Giants in the face. Suddenly he lifted his head and his Hammer. He looked around for a moment and then he spotted the Cyclops King. With a deafening roar Bardok charged at him. Thin bolts of lightning appeared on the surface of the Hammer as Bardok screamed: - I call upon the Great God of Thunder, Thor! With these words, a great Lightning Bolt formed around the Hammer and Bardok released it upon the King. The whole battle stopped for a moment as the scream that followed filled the air. Everyone watched as the great Cyclops King was turned into a small pile of ash. Only Voldemort's son stood in front of Bardok and said: - You missed. Avada Kedavra! The familiar green light emerged from his wand and hit Bardok who slowly fell to the ground. The earth trembled under his weight. All giants seemed stunned for a moment, but then one of them cried: - Bardok, father, I will avenge you! And he charged at Voldemort's son. The other giants charged at the Cyclops. The battle began again. Now the Aurors and the Death-Eaters joined the battle. Curses were flying everywhere. The green light of the Avada Kedavra was dominant, but, because of the chaos most shots were misses. Soon, it was evident that the forces of Voldemort were winning. Many Aurors were still fighting among the giants, and the number of Cyclops was visibly diminished. But the Basilisks had done much damage, almost as much as the Death-Eaters and there were plenty of both of them left. Dumbledore had a worried look on his face. And then, to everyone's surprise he lifted his hand with the flame and said: - Everyone, retreat! Harry's jaw dropped. "What?" he thought, "Dumbledore is retreating?" And indeed, the Aurors and the Giants began to retreat leaving the edge of the forest and the road to Hogsmeade behind. The Death-Eaters followed them with cries of glory. Dumbledore slowly closed his eyes and his head dropped as he muttered something that sounded like a prayer. And somewhere far, on the battlefield, a small figure lifted its head smiling. - You really thought you could defeat my father, Harry Potter? Voldemort's son asked as he slowly began to walk towards the gates of Hogwarts. A few moments passed. Harry, Helena, Ron, Hermione and Colin were looking at Dumbledore. Dumbledore just stood there with his fists clenched, eyes closed and a sweat drop slowly sliding down his forehead. Meanwhile, the distance between the battle and the castle had diminished. The Aurors were trying desperately to hold back the Death-Eaters and Basilisks, but didn't stand a chance. Voldemort's son was waiting patiently ten meters behind the battle and, from time to time, was perfectly aiming an Avada Kedavra at the Hippogriff riders who were still causing severe damage to the Death-Eaters.
And then Dumbledore lifted his head. And smiled. - Remus, now! he said to his flame. Harry looked at the battlefield. Nothing had changed. But very soon, at the back of the Death-Eaters, on the road to Hogsmeade, reinforcements arrived. About two hundred Aurors and one hundred giants were charging with Lupin in the lead. Voldemort's son turned around and screamed: - Nagini! Malfoy! And then he disappeared. Half of the Death-Eaters turned around. So did the Basilisks. And the battle began again, more fierce than before. Soon, Voldemort's son appeared again, on one side of the battlefield and continued to observe. He seemed strangely calm, as his father's forces began to lose. Soon, they were driven back towards the Quidditch pitch. Dumbledore grabbed his binoculars and began to scan the field. His sight stopped on the face of Voldemort's son. He was smiling. Dumbledore frowned. And then Harry said: - Up, above the forest!!! About ten black-reddish shapes were rapidly approaching the battlefield. Dumbledore lifted the binoculars and gasped. - I should have known... - What are those, professor? asked Colin. Dumbledore didn't answer. But soon, 10 Manticores were perfectly visible above the battlefield. They were horrible creatures, a combination between lion and scorpion, with bat wings. They were never tamed or controlled, but now, somehow, Voldemort succeeded to tame ten of them. Soon, the odds changed again. The Manticores were doing incredible damage among the Aurors and especially giants, who were a perfect pray for their poisonous sting. Most of the Hippogriff riders retreated and were soon followed by the whole army. The Death-Eaters and Basilisks, though almost decimated, were enough to support the attacks of the Manticore riders. Dumbledore was pale. He clenched his fists again and then said: - It is time for my last move... Harry looked at him and then felt something... Dumbledore lifted his hand and spoke in the flame: - Charlie! Go... - Charlie? Ron said amazed. Harry meanwhile, was scanning the battlefield. He had felt something... Something was missing. The surprise attack, and Voldemort. The Aurors were slowly retreating towards the castle Harry caught a glimpse of Sirius on one flank of the battle. And then everything froze as a huge roar filled the air. Voldemort's son went white as, above the lake, five black, beautiful Dragons appeared. With amazing speed, the Dragons approached the Manticores. Harry spotted Charlie on the back of a Romanian Darkblood. He was in front of all the others. He charged at a man Harry recognized as being Anthony Helwig. But the flames narrowly missed the tail of the Manticore who dived. Charlie dived after him. A group of Death-Eaters ran away, screaming, as the Manticore pulled out of the dive only a few meters away from the earth followed closely by a jet of flames that left a fuming crater behind. Charlie's Darkblood almost hit the earth as he pulled out of the dive and headed towards Helwig. meanwhile, the other Dragon Riders succeeded to split Voldemort's forces. The Death-Eaters were now scattered all over the battlefield. Small groups of Aurors were following them. And then Harry understood. The surprise attack was coming. There was little time left. Without Dumbledore noticing, he opened the door and exited the Command Center. But Helena had seen him. - Stop! Harry, where are you going? Running down the staircase, towards the exit, Harry yelled: - There's no time now! And then he was gone. As he passed the Great Hall, he heard the roar of the students who were cheering, as Charlie succeeded to transform Anthony Helwig and his Manticore into a flaming boulder. Unobserved by anybody, he opened the castle gates and realized he was too late. On the other road towards Hogsmeade, the one around the lake, Albert Lestrange had appeared. Behind him, the remaining forces of Lord Voldemort were slowly gliding towards the fear-frozen Aurors. Harry felt the familiar, icy cold penetrating his insides as about three hundred Dementors were sucking all happiness out of him. And there, at Albert Lestrange's feet, Harry saw Sirius, kneeling and screaming: - No, please, NOOOO!!! Albert Lestrange grinned evilly as a Dementor approached Sirius. Harry started to run towards them, but it was too late. The Dementor lowered his hood and lifted Sirius. - NOOOOO!!!!!!! Harry screamed as Sirius's body fell to the ground, like an empty shell, his soul lost forever within the insides of a Dementor. For a moment everything stopped for Harry. Everything seemed lost. Sirius was gone. Behind him, Ron, Helena and Hermione appeared. Harry looked towards them desperately as if asking for help. But they were just looking back at him. And then Helena smiled. And he remembered. "You know Harry, when you kill a Dementor, he releases all the souls he had imprisoned. And if the body is somewhere close, the soul can return to it..." Crouch had said. But then, Harry realized there was only one way he knew of getting rid of a Dementor, and that was the Patronus. He felt anger building up inside him. Sirius was dead, and there was no way of bringing him back... But there as still something left. The Avada Kedavra. But Harry was too weak to cast it... No he wasn't! His clone had cast it, why couldn't he? All these thought crossed Harry's mind in an instant. And then, he lifted his wand towards the Dementor who had "kissed" Sirius and was now approaching him. With a dark, low voice, Harry whispered: - Avada Kedavra! And he concentrated his power. He wanted to kill. A few green sparks emerged from the tip of the wand, but they dropped soon afterwards. The Dementor was very near. Harry almost panicked, but then anger took over him, guiding his moves. He lifted the wand again, looked straight into the face of the Dementor and shouted: - AVADA KEDAVRA!!! A binding, green light filled the air. The Dementor stopped. He had time just to look around towards the other Dementors and let out a piercing sound like a banshees scream, and then he was hit. His whole body was bathed in green light and began to twirl madly. And then, an almost inhuman scream filled the air, the scream of thousands of people imprisoned for a too long time. Slowly, dark ghosts emerged from the body of the Dementor and dissolved into the sunlight. And then, at the end, Sirius appeared too. His ghost wasn't dark yet, and he looked around desperately, not knowing what had happened. Soon, his ghost began to dissolve too. - NOOOO!!! Harry shouted, but Sirius shook his head helplessly.
And Harry understood. The body was too far!
- Accio Body! he yelled.
And as the body approached the dying Dementor, Sirius's ghost disappeared. For a terrible moment, Harry thought it had not worked. But then, Sirius moved. Harry ran towards him. - Sirius! Are you ok? - Harry? Harry, what have you done? - I've killed the Dementor. - You.... And then, a wave of weakness swept over Sirius, making him feint. Harry looked a him for a moment. And then, he raised his had frowning. His anger was almost touchable. Everything on the battlefield froze. Albert Lestrange's eyes widened with fear as Harry approached him and said: - You! And then, he raised his wand and, in the same low, dark voice whispered: - Vis Orbis! - RUN!!! someone screamed. But it was already too late. The Sphere started with amazing speed towards Lestrange. - NOOOOO!!! he screamed, as the white, blinding light filled the air. The explosion was immense. A deafening roar filled the air and everyone was thrown back by its force. Harry alone just stood there and let the blast pass through him. As the smoke cleared the view was terrible. A huge crater remained where Albert Lestrange had been. And on its edge, Harry Potter was standing, with a triumphant smile on his face. He looked up and, on the other side of the crater, saw the Dementors head towards him. He smiled evilly and then said: - Expecto Patronum! The big, silvery-gray stag emerged from Harry's wand and charged at the Dementors. Soon, they were desperately retreating. The battle continued, with both forces seriously diminished, but soon it was clear that Voldemort's forces were losing. The Dragon-Riders had succeeded to get rid of all the Manticores and were now charging at the helpless Death-Eaters. Meanwhile, Harry called Hermione, Helena and Ron to help him lift Sirius's body and take it to the Hospital Wing. Hermione conjured a stretcher and then, they lifted it. As they were walking towards the castle gates, Ron said: - Um, Harry... - What! Harry snapped. - Um... Congratulations... - Yeah, whatever! Harry was still boiling with anger. He wanted to kill. And then, at one window of the castle he saw Fred, George, Cho and Ginny, all smiling and waving happily at him. He looked around and recognized Ron's, Hermione's and Helena's faces, all looking worried at him. And he understood that anger is useless. Suddenly he calmed down, and the urge to kill disappeared. And then, a high-pitched voice, coming from behind him, said: - Potter! We meet again... Voldemort had finally arrived.