During the early hours of the morning after Harry and Luna arrived in Ottery St Catchpole, a sense of fear suddenly descended upon the village of Hogsmeade. Every witch and wizard in the village who was not asleep felt suddenly as if they would never be happy again, while those who were sleeping suddenly awoke from vivid nightmares feeling despair. Combined with this feeling was a small earthquake. The villagers were disquieted by these events, though they swiftly passed.
Within hours of the events in Hogsmeade, the Aurors guarding the approach to Hogwarts began to feel the despair the villagers had felt. The outer ring of guards felt it worst. Soon after they felt despair, the dark shapes of Dementors suddenly confronted a pair of Aurors. The Aurors instantly cast the Patronus Charm at the Dementors, and the Dementors were forced to fall back. Closely following the Dementors, however, were the massive shapes of giants. The Aurors tried to stun the giants, but found their spells ineffective and they were soon overwhelmed and beaten to a pulp, their screams of pain echoing into the night much to the delight of the Gurg. A short distance away, a pair of guards from the Order, less wary than the two Aurors had been, were surprised and overwhelmed by Dementors who swiftly administered their fatal kiss, then moved on leaving the two lying motionless and soulless in their wake.
"The attack goes well, my Lord," Bellatrix Lestrange told Voldemort, who was sitting comfortably far from the scene of the battle. "The giants and Dementors are easily defeating our enemies. If they can continue at this rate, soon Potter, Dumbledore and the rest will be dead."
"Excellent, Bella, Voldemort replied, a cruel smile upon his face. "Continue the attack."
"Of course, master. We will destroy all your foes then we can restructure the world in your glorious image." Bellatrix turned before Apparating to join the Dementors and giants, a dozen Death Eaters following her.
"As for you Wormtail," Voldemort said coldly to the smaller wizard who stood at his side, "you will go into Hogwarts alone. If you find my Death Eaters can enter undetected, return to me and I will act upon your information, hopefully with more success than in the past."
Wormtail's face, already pale, became much paler as he considered his task. He knew that by being the first to enter Hogwarts, even if it was by one of the secret passages he knew well from his schooldays, he would expose himself to greater risk than any other Death Eater at this stage. In spite of his fear at this idea, however, "Wormtail simply replied "Yes master" before he too Apparated.
Voldemort, now on his own, smiled evilly. "Soon," he said. "Very soon Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore will be no more than memories. Then the filthy Mudbloods and Muggles will learn the true meaning of fear before I kill them." Voldemort stroked Nagini as he settled down to await further news of his successful attack.