Harry Potter and the Magnificent Seven
Chapter 29: The Assault
John was sitting in his office reviewing reports when Harry and Ginny came back. One look at their faces and he knew something was wrong.
"What's up?" he asked. Harry handed him the parchment. John read it quickly, his face taking on a grim look. "Where is Durmstrang?"
"No one knows for sure. Like Hogwarts, its unplottable." Ginny replied.
"So that means we'll all have to go by port key. And we won't be able to bring air support." John said, meaning Rainbow's specially modified helicopters. "Damn." Harry and Ginny nodded in understanding. Though none of them had ever been to Durmstrang, if it was anything like Hogwarts, it was a veritable fortress. Add to that the presence of the bulk of Voldemort's forces, and the prospect of successfully assaulting the place without air support became very slim.
"I know." Harry said. "But we can't hold off. Voldemort probably already knows we're coming. If we delay, he'll only improve his defenses. Its time to end this once and for all."
Harry looked out over the sea of faces gathered in the auditorium. The room had been magically expanded several times and was filled to capacity, unlike at other times. In addition to the 250 members of Rainbow (including the crews of the unit's helicopters, which would be useless on this mission), there were approximately four hundred members of the Order of the Phoenix, nine hundred British, Irish French, Belgian, and Spanish Aurors, two hundred goblins, one hundred Centaurs, and thanks to Hagrid's work, fifty giants. None of these forces were surprise to Harry; they had spent much of the last year cementing support among their likely allies in the magical community.
He glanced at two groups of wizards, one, numbering about four hundred or so, clad in forest camouflage. These were combat mages from the American military, sent by John's friend, President Jack Ryan to assist in the battle. They were slightly better trained than the Aurors since their primary mission was to wage war, not capture enforce the law. He had been slightly surprised; John had never mentioned these reinforcements to him; apparently it had been planned for some time. But even more surprising than the Americans was the large group of about three hundred that were seated immediately behind them, the distinctive crest of Hogwarts sticking out like a sore thumb. Apparently Dumbledore had really accelerated the DADA training since the Marauder's departure from the school. As he gazed at their army, he couldn't help but feel immense power radiating from them.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't enough. All told they had about 2600 troops to through against Durmstrang; they didn't dare try using more Aurors or Unspeakables; there was still a distinct possibility that Voldemort would use their attack as a chance to hit Britain or elsewhere. And given the defenses of Durmstrang, and the fact that he had at least a three to one numerical superiority in manpower, it was likely that none of them would live through this.
The plan, such as it was, was simple. Harry and the Marauders had managed to duplicate the parchment that Viktor had sent, allowing them to have dozens instead of just one, portkeys. Harry, the Marauders, and Rainbow would be the first to transport to the forest outside Durmstrang. Once they gave the clear signal, the rest of the force would portkey there as well. Then the Marauders, joined by the American combat mages would assault the wards surrounding the castle. Once they were down, the whole force would attack en mass, with the Marauders immediately heading for the castle and Voldemort.
"Okay, listen up." Harry's voice boomed throughout the auditorium. All conversation fell silent. "Thank you. You've all know what we're up against. This fight is going to be bloody, and very likely not many of us will be coming back. The enemy outnumbers us and is in command of the high ground.
But that does not matter. All of us here have long known that our chances for surviving this war were slim at best. Despite our enemy's size and power, we have one thing that they will never have; for unlike our enemies, we are not fighting for money, power and glory. We are fighting for our friends, our loved ones, and all those who cannot defend themselves.
Freedom is the most precious and powerful force in the universe, even more powerful than magic. Over and over again, the history of world has shown that tyranny is no match for freedom. Oh, it may gain a temporary upper hand for a while, but it cannot triumph permanently. For wherever man resides, he desires to be free. And that desire will drive him to do incredible things. This is what our enemies do not understand.
And so I say to you, let's show these bastards just what a freedom loving people can do!" Cheers erupted among those gathered, shaking the very foundation of the base. Harry glanced over at his friends, who were looking at him with grim determination. Ginny walked over and pulled him to her.
"I love you Harry Potter." she said. After they had separated, he turned to the rest of the Marauders. Ron held out his hand, palm down. One by one, the others clasp their hands to each others. Finally Harry placed his hands on theirs.
"Let's do this." Harry said.
'Anything?' Harry asked through the mind link. He, along with the Marauders and the rest of Rainbow had portkeyed to the forest several minutes earlier.
'It looks clear' George said. Harry turned to John and nodded. John turned and signaled the team leaders. Like a well-rehearsed quidditch team, the Rainbow troops began moving off, forming a tight perimeter along the edge of the forest. Harry pulled his parchment from his pocket and scribbled a quick note.
A moment later there were flashes as more people, using portkeys, appeared in the area. Major Lisa Michaels, the commander of the American combat mages, immediately stepped over to Harry.
"We're all here." She said. Harry nodded. Michaels turned to her troops and motioned them forward.
Deep inside Durmstrang's dungeons, Lord Voldemort sat on his throne, pleased. In front of him lay the bloodied, now motionless body of Viktor Krum.
Everything was coming together perfectly. He had allowed the fool to send his owl, hoping that Potter and his allies would be foolish enough to attack. Since the battle at the Burrow, he had reconstituted his forces and heavily warded the castle, as well as placing large amounts of defensive firepower on the walls. He had also acquired some very rare texts, which allowed him to boost his magical ability even greater. He was confident that he could now defeat Potter and his friends.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of large explosions rocking the castle. He immediately activates the crystal ball sitting in front of him. When the image appeared, he smiled. His plan was about to bear fruit.
Harry heard a muffled groan and watched as one of the American mages went down, victim of a burst of gunfire from the castle. Almost the minute the Marauders and the mages had begun attacking the wards, they came under a hail of gunfire, curses, hexes, and explosives from the well-entrenched enemy. Several of the American mages were now dead, and many more wounded. But still they stood their ground.
They had been hitting the wards for nearly ten minutes and Harry could sense the power of the wards draining quickly.
"Get ready!" Harry shouted back to the rest of the waiting force. Then he turned his attention back to the wards.
"I think they're ready to give!" Hermione said over the link. A moment later, a large groan was heard through the air, followed by a large crash as the wards fell.
"Move out!" Harry shouted as he and the others charged forward.
"My lord! The wards have fallen!" a panicked Deatheater shouted hurriedly.
"What?!" Voldemort said, as what little color was left on his pale skin rapidly drained for a moment. Then it returned. "It is no matter, they will not defeat me this time."
Ding cursed as he dived out of the way of a killing curse, which grazed his side, and then struck the ground. Rolling over he fired a quick burst at the nearest Deatheater, hitting him (or maybe it was a her) in the chest. Glancing around he saw there were no other close threats. Taking a moment he looked around at the scene of carnage.
The battle had been raging for twenty minutes now and the forces of light were making steady progress towards the castle. But they were also taking heavy casualties doing it. The ground surrounding the castle was littered with the bodies of the dead and dying of both sides, along with the smoldering craters left over from the impacts of curses and explosives.
"Where the hell are those heavy weapons?" Sirius said, moving up alongside Ding. He was referring to a cache of mortars, bazookas, and rocket launchers that the second wave was supposed to be bringing with them.
"I'm not sure." Ding said. "But if they don't get here soon…"
"Slasio!" Harry shouted, catching a Deatheater in the chest and sending him to the ground. The Marauders had managed to fight their way into the castle and down to the lower levels, a trail of dead Deatheaters and mercenaries littering the castle.
"Are you sure we shouldn't give the guys a hand outside?" Neville said through the link. "We could probably take some heat off them if we head up."
"I know." Harry replied. "I don't like leaving the team on their own either. But we need to get Voldemort. If he gets away, it won't matter how many of them we take out. He'll just recruit more followers and we'll be back where we started."
"We know Harry." Hermione said. "But we still don't have to like it." Harry glanced down at the map that Krum had sent him. If they were reading it right, they were nearing the entrance to the secret level that Voldemort and his followers had dug under the castle.
The seven friends moved slowly forward, their eyes scanning for danger. Suddenly, from the end of the corridor, a torrent of curses and gunfire. The Marauders dived behind several statues.
"Looks like Krum's map was accurate." Ron said as he returned fire. His aim rang true, the muffled scream of a Deatheater soon followed by the thud of his body hitting the ground.
"Grenades." Harry ordered. The Marauders each pulled a grenade from their belts and pulled the pins. Counting to six, Harry nodded and they launched the spherical devices. A moment later there was a deafening roar as the grenades exploded. Harry peaked around the statue he was hiding and surveyed the scene. The hallway was a mess of debris and bodies. At least a dozen Deatheaters and mercenaries had been killed by the grenades; at least a dozen more were moaning on the ground, injured.
"Let's move." Harry said. The seven rushed forward, firing their weapons at several of the wounded enemy who tried to mount further resistance.
"Somebody order back-up?" Captain Martin Mattingly asked as he dove next to Ding and Sirius, and grinned. Sirius looked over to him.
"What took you so long?" he asked. Mattingly was in command of the second wave of troops, the ones carry the assault force's heavy weapons.
"Had to pick up some bagels." Martin replied. Behind him, several teams were busily setting up 81mm mortar launchers. Further down the line, several bazooka teams moved into position. "Where do you want me to concentrate my fire?"
"Target your mortars on those towers." John ordered as he crawled over to their position, indicating to the four massive towers that lined the front of the castle, from which a hellish amount of fire was being poured down onto the attackers. "Concentrate the rest of your weapons on the gate and the fortifications guarding it."
"Roger." Martin said, and then moved back to his men. Less than two minutes later, there was the familiar sound of mortar shells launching from their tubes. The first several shots fell short, either not reaching the enemy lines and exploding on the ground or missing the towers and instead impacting against sections of wall. Martin shouted orders to his men. A moment later another round of projectiles flew through the air.
This time the aim of the mortar crews was true this time, their shells impacting against the towers. Soon more and more shells were making their way towards the enemy's strong points. Meanwhile, the rest of the troops increased their fire on the enemy troops before them, while dozens of bazooka and rocket teams opened up on the enemy fortifications surrounding the castles massive gate.
"Explosio!" Fred shouted, firing an exploding hex into a group of three Deatheaters. The Marauders had reached the lower level of the castle, and judging by the increased resistance they were meeting, they were coming closer to Voldemort's throne room.
The fighting so far had been brutal. Moving through about a half a dozen rooms so far, the Marauders had been assaulted by almost a hundred Deatheaters and Mercenaries. The majority of these were now dead; the rest, severely wounded. But their defense had been tenacious. All of the Marauders had suffered wounds; although they were mostly minor. Around them they could feel the castle rumbling under the impact of the heavy weapons and spell fire they knew the rest of the assault force was hitting the enemy with.
"I hope the guys are faring okay." Neville said as they moved carefully forward. A moment later they dived in separate directions as a mercenary popped up from behind a large stone, firing his AK-47.
"Flarus!" Ginny shouted, sending a fireball towards the man, charring him to a crisp in a matter of seconds.
"Don't worry about them; they'll make it." Hermione said as she stood up, brushing the dust off her jumpsuit. Ron looked towards the other side of the room.
"Uh, guys. I think this is it." He said. The others turned. At the far side of the room was a large set of double doors. Each was engraved with the Slytherin coat of arms.
"Somebody had got to tell snake-face that his decorating skills suck." George quipped. A moment later the massive doors swung open.
"Welcome Harry Potter." Voldemort's voice hissed throughout the hall.
"Yes!" Sirius shouted as he watched the fourth of the four massive towers lined along the front of the castle finally crumble under the repeated fire of the heavy weapons of the attack force. Without their vantage points in the tower, the enemy was unable to bring as fearsome amount of fire down on Rainbow and its allies, thus allowing them to move even closer to the castle.
In response to the loss of their vantage points, a large amount of the enemy had actually left the castle and were now engaged in a classic slugfest with the attacking forces of light. Sirius grinned. As prepared as Voldemort's men had been for the attack, and for as sound as their initial tactics were, once their plan had begun to fall apart they had no backup and as such were now engaging in the type of battle that would ultimately favor Rainbow.
Already elements of the attacking force had pushed forward nearly to the castle itself. The ground shook several times as the mortars shifted their fire to the main gate of the castle and the enemy troops outside the castle walls.
"Grenades!" John shouted. Around him, members of Rainbow, including Sirius, began removing their remaining grenades from their web gear. A moment later each had one in their hands, pins pulled, ready to launch. As one, a hundred hand grenades flew through the air towards enemy's forces. A moment later the ground shook as they exploded, sending Deatheaters and mercenaries flying through the air, a cloud of dust and smoke momentarily blocking the view of the enemy lines.
A few seconds later the smoke cleared and John surveyed the damage. The concentrated grenade attack had broken the enemy's forces. Large amounts were now dead or dying and the remaining fortifications were in ruins. He signaled to the others.
"Let's get them!" he said, pushing himself off the ground and charging towards the castle. Behind him the rest of the attacking force gave a shout and charged.
The Deatheaters and mercenaries that were still capable tried to put up a fight, but the balance had now swung completely to the attackers. Most were killed in rapid bursts of magic and automatic weapons fire; some of the smarter ones dropped their wands and weapons and surrendered as the rushing tide of the attacker drew near them.
Meanwhile, Rainbow's bazooka and mortar teams continued to pound the gate, despite the closeness of their own troops to the enemy. Everyone knew that defeating the enemy for good would come down to getting into the castle. They also knew that somewhere inside, seven of their number were battling the most evil wizard in history; and the rest of Rainbow wanted to get a piece of the action.
After a few more moments of continued pounding, the large main gate finally exploded into a hail of broken lumber. Dozens of the attacking force rushed forward into the castle, the rest approaching rapidly behind them.
Sirius, John and Ding were about to head towards the castle when suddenly the ground began to shake violently, knocking them off their feet. Then a large bright white light burst from the castle. All around, members of Rainbow and their allies tried to shield their eyes.
Sirius began to get a very bad feeling. He didn't know why but something spurned him to action.
"Fall back!" he shouted. It took a moment, but slowly the force began to move away from the castle. They were about halfway between the castle and the forest when suddenly the castle exploded, sending debris into the air. The shockwave of the blast picked Sirius up and threw him several feet into the air. He impacted the ground and a moment later everything went dark.