A/N) I know this is short but this is my first attempt at a major fight, and really, I think it is not that good, but maybe people can tell me different. I'm not confident in my writing abilities with fights like this, so I hope it's okay.
Chapter 16: Fight to Hogwarts
Laying in the dark beyond the Veil, was the ragged form of his godfather. He was not moving. Harry felt panic wash through his soul. He couldn't be dead…he just couldn't. He rushed forward, ignoring Hermione's whispered 'No!" and fell to his knees beside Sirius.
"Padfoot," he breathed, gently shaking him. "Wake up."
The others peered round Harry's shoulder slightly scared. Wormtail had not come with them though Harry had not noticed this. All he cared about was Sirius.
A low moan echoed as Sirius gradually woke. Harry had the feeling that he had not been expecting visitors.
"Padfoot," he whispered quietly, "it's me, it's Harry."
The others watched apprehensively.
"…Har…ry, no…go…back…don't…co…me here." Sirius' muttering was barely audible but Harry got the gist of what he was attempting to say.
"I'm not leaving you," he said firmly. He turned to the others. "We have to get him properly awake."
Hermione moved forward, knelt down, taking out her wand and pointed it at Sirius. "Awace!" she said, "It means 'awake'. It's a spell I learnt myself."
Harry looked back at Sirius and to his surprise he was looking up at him, wide-eyed in surprise and denial.
"No…you can't be here…you just can't."
"I'm here to help you, Sirius. We're going to get you out of here. We managed to get in, we'll get you out." Harry promised. "Wormtail helped me."
"No…Harry…you didn't…speak to him?"
Before Harry could answer Ginny stepped forward.
"Excuse me for interrupting," said Ginny, "but I think we should get out of here before we are discovered by the wrong people."
Harry nodded. "Someone help me lift him."
"I can walk." Sirius said, but as he tried to stand his legs buckled beneath him. "Maybe I can't then."
Harry and Ron lifted Sirius to his feet and Ginny and Neville took him from there.
"The cloak won't fit all of us." Harry stated. "It's too big a group."
"Yes we can," Hermione said, "everyone bunch together. It'll make our progress slow but we should fit."
Following her advice, Harry and the others managed to fit the cloak over them. Thinking on happy thoughts, Harry made his way towards the door that had now appeared and stepped through.
Though as they stepped forward through the Veil and back into the room and out into the hallway, Harry got the shock of his life.
For standing in their way was Voldemort and a crowd of Death Eaters, their wands raised and from the expression on the Dark Lord's face, Harry immediately knew that the cloak was useless against Voldemort. But what made his heart fall was Wormtail looking sad and apologetic standing right next to Voldemort, his wand also raised.
Wormtail had betrayed him. It had all been a trap.
"Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed, raising his wand, "Accio cloak!"
Before he could get a firm grip on the cloak, it had zoomed away from him towards Voldemort. Faced with Death Eaters and the Dark Lord Harry felt no fear but he knew the others were feeling it. He raised his wand, knowing he'd have to fight. The others did the same.
"You will not get away this time, Potter." Voldemort hissed.
"You bet?" Harry grinned.
"Do not harm Potter. He is mine. Do as you please with the others." Voldemort instructed and stepping forward he uttered a curse that Harry narrowly deflected back to him.
Then all hell broke loose.
They were trapped in a small room, their wands raised, spells being cast about and narrowly missing them.
Harry stood on the foremost facing Voldemort preparing to duel.
"Expelliarmus!" he shouted as the "Stupefy" spell was cast his way.
The stunning spell hit one of the Death Eaters who had been too slow to deflect it. He thought it was Crabbe.
Harry ducked, yelling for the others to do so as another spell zoomed over ahead. It barely missed him.
"Impedimenta!" Harry shouted, thrusting his wand forward. However it was not his own voice that echoed the spell but the combination of the others efforts.
The spell knocked Voldemort back who couldn't deflect it in time. Several Death Eaters fell onto the floor.
Shouting: "Stupefy!" Harry and the others ran from the room, casting spells to stop the enemy. Harry concentrated upon Voldemort who with the spells raining down upon him could not deflect any of them, however none of them seemed to be doing any harm to him.
They were now half-way down the hall way, heading towards the passageway. The Death Eaters in pursuit. Voldemort's screeches of fury reaching his ears.
Hermione shouted 'Expelliarmus' over her shoulder and several wands clattered to the floor.
"Come on, we're nearly there!" Harry declared. If they could get to the Department of Mysteries they'd be fine.
Ginny and Neville who were helping Sirius along were in front, but then they stopped, Ginny screeching: "Dementors!"
Harry looked ahead, and sure enough, ten Dementors blocked their path. He raised his wand, thought of a happy thought and shouted: "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A silver stag erupted from his wand, galloping forward, towards the evil. "Get rid of them!"
The Dementors departed as the stag continued to drive them away. Behind them the Death Eaters were following. Knowing it probably wouldn't work, Harry directed the stag towards them. It did not hinder them but confused them not knowing what it was but Lucius Malfoy banished it, scattering the spell away.
With the way clear Harry and the others were already racing down the steps into the passage. "We must find the Veil! We can use it to get back!"
The Death Eaters did not follow.
Half way along the corridor they came to the room where the other Veil stood, but inside this room was Voldemort grinning evilly, his red eyes glowing with pleasure.
"You will not escape!" he hissed.
Harry stepped inside, pointed his wand at Voldemort but at the same time they cast two spells which collided in mid-air. The two wands began to shake and Harry knew what was going to happen as did Voldemort but neither moved their wands for fear of letting the other have an advantage.
Hermione gasped. The others looked mortified.
Instead of images of spells coming from the wands, people began to flood from the Veil that stood in the centre, and Harry realised why. Powerful emotion ran through his body and he was calling them to him asking them for aid.
The spirits of James and Lily Potter as well as the Witches and Wizards of the Potters began to descend from the Veil and circle them, just like before.
All of Harry's family were appearing and he felt tears brimming in his eyes. But anger burst through him as he thought of what Voldemort had taken from him. He hadn't deserved any of it!
"Your friends can go through," James said, "the power of the Veil is strong within you, you'll keep them safe!"
Harry glanced at the others: "Go, take Sirius and go!" Harry yelled.
Quickly as possible Ginny, Neville and Sirius passed through disappearing from view, but Ron and Hermione would not leave.
"Go!" Harry demanded.
"No, Harry," Hermione said, "Ron, on the count of three…"
However her words were cut short as someone appeared out of nowhere knocking Voldemort away. It was Wormtail. They fell to their sides, and Harry quickly raised his wand towards Voldemort.
"You insolent little traitor!" Voldemort screamed at Wormtail who was cradling his arm for it bled. "No one betrays Lord Voldemort and lives!"
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" the killing curse was cast towards Wormtail but the spirits of the Potters got in the way, demolishing the spell.
Scrambling to his feet Wormtail shouted: "I am not a TRAITOR! I did not want to help you, I never did! I've been working against you for a year! I was once a GRYFFINDOR! It's time I proved myself one!" He cast 'Impedimenta' at Voldemort, knocking him back so that the Veil entrance was free for Harry to escape.
"Harry, go!" Wormtail declared.
Taking his chance Harry grabbed Wormtail by the arm, cast a spell at Voldemort and leapt towards the Veil thinking only happy thoughts. A spell nearly hit him but he ducked, and then he was threw, running past the dead and out of the door, falling onto the Department of Mysteries floor, where the others waited for him.
"Harry!" Hermione said, helping him up.
"Shut it off!" Harry said to Luna and Claire who seemed to be in concentration. "Voldemort will come through if we don't!"
The two girls came out of their state and looked at Harry who had a bit of blood on the side of his face. Sirius was laying on the floor, looking pale. He looked really ill, starved.
"We have to get to Hogwarts." He looked at his watch. It was 6AM in the morning! Any hope of arriving unseen seemed impossible but they'd have to risk it.
Concentrating he thought happy thoughts, grasped hands with the others and led them through.
James and Lily stood in the spirit world smiling at Harry as he led them through to the door.
"Well done," James said, "you have fought a man's battle."
"The door will take you to Hogwarts. Voldemort cannot harm you anymore. You are safe." Lily said.
"I'll come and visit when I can," Harry promised.
Then he had reached the door, pushed it open and fell through, landing in the Great Hall at Hogwarts.
TBC
Um, what did people think? The next chapter is the last, so feedback is greatly appreciated.
Review Responses:
Phoenixtears: Would I ever kill Harry? If I do, I wouldn't mean it. Hope you liked this chapter!
Phoenix Friend: Sorry if I did not reply to you last chapter but I received your review after posting the chapter. Lupin didn't join Harry mainly because he doesn't really know what Harry is doing. Also Dumbledore will only allow Lupin to help Harry so far. Harry has to do this on his own. The advances with the Wolfsbane Potion are mainly that it is not painful to transform into a werewolf anymore and that if he bit humans then they wouldn't turn into a werewolf themselves. That is basically what the 'new' advances do. Thank you for your review.
Evil-pillow: Here's an update!
Got-lotr: Heh, heh, another cliffy, but not this time, I don't think. Hope you enjoyed this instalment.
Galadriel Evenstar: I hope you liked this chapter.
LunaShadows: It's no trick as you can see by this chapter! You will see Sirius more in the next chapter!
Moon Lace: Yes, Voldemort has got two Veils. The other Veil's location will be revealed in the next chapter. Dumbledore hiding something? Nope. No more secrets this time. He's been completely truthful. Oh, and if you received my review for the fifth chapter of 'Beyond the Times' I was in a rather bad mood then, but now I'm happier (stupid school messing things up as usual! - It really annoys me!) but anyway I thought I'd just say sorry for writing something like that in a review. It just came out. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
