Chapter 14: Rescue

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Harry threw himself out of the way of the Troll club that swung at him. Rolling to the side, he sat up and fired a stunning curse at the troll. It hit dead on, knocking the troll the ground. He stood up and made his way over to the others. The were busy firing curses at a group of Deatheaters.

"Something isn't right here." Ron said, as he ducked another killing curse.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, having just sent another curse towards a Deatheater.

"Doesn't it seem odd that Voldemort didn't send more troops to attack the Ministry? I mean, it looks like he only sent enough too…"

"…keep us busy." Harry finished, realization dawning on him. "That's because this is only a diversionary attack! We've got to finish this and get to Azkaban."

"Any suggestions?" Ginny said as she ducked another curse.

"I've got an idea." Hermione said, turning to the rest of them. "We've got to get the rest of the Marauders over here though."

"Fred! George! Neville! Get over here!" Harry shouted. The three Marauders broke from their positions and made their way over to Harry, Ron, Hermonie, and Ginny. Harry quickly explained the situation.

"What's the plan Hermione?" Neville asked.

"Everybody join hands. When I count to three, we stand up together and say Maximus Expelliarmus. It's a curse I read about last year. When one wizard casts it, it has an effect five times the power and radius of the normal disarming spell. If several wizards cast it while joining hands the effect increases a hundred fold." The Maraunders joined hands and waited for Hermonie to count "Three!" she shouted.

"Maximus Expelliarmus!!" seven voices shouted. There was a blinding flash and a large boom. The Deatheaters and Trolls still attacking the Ministry were lifted off the ground and slammed backwards. Silence fell over the battlefield as the rest of the Order and the surviving Aurors looked around in surprise. Harry spotted Professor McGonnagall and ran over to her. Her robes were dirty and fussed, but other than that, she seemed to be okay.

"Professor! We need to get to Azkaban immediately! This was a diversion." Harry said, urgently. He heard the rest of the Marauders come up behind him.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow it, Potter." McGonnagall said. "I have strict instructions from the Headmaster that you seven are to be kept safe." Harry exploded.

"Damn it professor! If we don't go there now, Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus and the rest are going to die! I am not going to sit by and let that happen!" Harry whirled around and muttered something and the Marauders disappeared from sight.

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The battle at Azkahban was not going well for the Order. Most of the Dementors had been driven off and many Deatheaters were laying dead or injured on the ground, but more than half the members of the Order present were also down. Sirius and Remus were engaged in a fierce fight with six Deatheaters, one of them Lucius Malfoy and another none other than Minster Fudge.

"We have you now, Black." Fudge spat.

"I wouldn't count on that, Minister." A voice called from behind him. The Deatheaters whirled, only to be hit by a volley of curses from the Marauders, who had just appeared.

"Harry! What are you doing here!" Sirius said. "Dumbledore sent you to the Ministry!"

"It was only a diversion, designed to keep us busy. We took care of it and came here." Ginny replied as she cast a charm that tied the six prone figures up.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Harry asked. The group looked around.

"Over there!" Ron cried. Turning, they say Dumbledore and Voldemort dueling. Even from this distance it was easy to see that Dumbledore, though fighting with great skill, was slowly being worn down.

"We have to help him!" Hermione said. They immediately began to move towards the pair, only to run into a wall of Deatheaters. Curses began flying everywhere. Anger slowly burned brighter and brighter inside Harry. They had to reach Dumbledore.

"Use the spell we used at the Ministry!" Harry shouted. "Remus, Sirius, we need a shield!" Sirius and Remus each conjured a shield around the group. The Marauders joined hands and pointed their wands at the group of Deatheaters.

"Maximus Expelliarmus!" they shouted in unison. Once again, all the Deatheaters within a hundred yard radius were thrown to the ground. Sirius stood, his mouth gaping in shock.

"What was that?" Remus asked in awe. Hermione was about to answer when a noise behind the group interrupted her. Professor McGonnagall and the rest of the Order had arrived.

"Potter! I thought I told you not to…" She began, then seeing the large group of Deatheaters lying on the ground, stopped. A high-pitched laugh drew everyone's attention back towards the duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore. Voldemort was laughing. Dumbledore was laying on the ground several yards apart, clearly hurt.

"Oh no." Hermione whispered.

"Come on Marauders, we need to get up there." Harry said. With that the Marauders disapparated.

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The Marauders reappeared a few yards behind Voldemort. Harry glanced at his friends.

"Ready?" he asked. His friends nodded with determination. As they approached the scene of the duel, they could hear Voldemort taunting Dumbledore.

"How the mighty have fallen. Now you die!" Voldemort said, raising his wand and pointing it at his long time foe.

"Not today Tom!" Harry shouted. Voldemort whirled around, and found himself facing six drawn wands. Harry did not have his drawn, since his wand and Voldemort's would not work against each other, being brother wands. But Voldemort did not know that Harry could do wandless magic.

"Ah, Potter. What a delightful surprise. Now I can rid myself of all my foes in one sweep." Voldemort said. "Whom should I start with? Your redheaded friend? Perhaps the Mudblood. Or better yet, you're girlfriend."

Rage boiled inside Harry. The memory of those Harry cared for who had suffered because of Voldemort flashed in his mind. Suddenly he was engulfed in a glowing white aura.

"Pyruss Phoenix!" Harry cried, raising his hand. Out of his palm flew a flame in the shape of a phoenix. The shape flew towards Voldemort who tried to raise a shield. The spell impacted the shield, shattering it and sending Voldemort sailing through the air. He landed several yards past Dumbledore. Staggering, he got to his feet, realizing that he could not win this battle.

"Till we meet again, Potter." He spat, and then disappeared.