"Oh bugger!" Ron said, even louder. His face was pale and greenish.
Harry watched in horror as the wave of Death Eaters began advancing, slowly but surely on the castle. Suddenly, there was a strange noise sounding from deep in the forest – it sounded like a cross between a moose and an elephant.
"What on earth is that?" Ginny screamed, her hands clamped to her ears. Harry realized that between the cries of the Death Eaters, the booming toll of the bells, and this odd, new trumpeting sound, the din was deafening.
"No idea!" he shouted, "Hermione?"
"Look!" she cried, standing and pointing, all fear instantly forgotten.
Harry leapt up in time to see at least ten thestrals suddenly burst from the forest, black, bat-like wings unfurling and gleaming in the moonlight.
"I thought you couldn't see thestrals!" Harry shouted.
"There's thestrals?" she asked, her eyes widening even further.
Harry directed his gaze to where she was pointing, and recognized with a jolt, where the trumpeting noise was coming from:
Centaurs, at least a hundred, were pelting pell-mell out of the forest, roan, dappled, black, and palomino, their muscles rippling, faces contorted with battle cries, wielding bows and arrows with arms like tree trunks, the thunder of their hooves echoing off the stone parapets. He recognized Bane's dark, hulking frame as he reared in the moonlight, a long, curved horn to his lips, sounding his clarion call amidst the unholy noise.
"Ah," Luna said simply, "The Cavalry."
"I thought they weren't getting involved!" Ginny gasped.
"It's Firenze," said Harry, almost to himself in all the noise – heartache hit his chest like an axe as he saw for the first time that the fury on Bane's face was tracked with tears, glinting slightly in the light of the moon, "It's because of Firenze."
With a roar that reminded Harry of his own encounter with a Norwegian Ridgeback, Bane plunged into a gallop, firing arrows as he went.
The Death Eaters were clearly shocked, but reacted fast, their nerves perhaps giving them an advantage. Centaurs began crumpling to the ground, their own momentum tumbling them head over hoofed heels. Whether they were stunned or killed, Harry could only guess – it was impossible to trace the thicket of light darting its way through the hailstorm of arrows – red, green, purple and gold illuminating the blank white masks and the angry faces of the centaurs. The thestrals keened and wheeled above them, kicking and biting, their moon-dead eyes rolling back in their long, elegant skulls. The giants were trying to swat them away with club-like fists. With a horrible squeal, Harry saw one of their wings crumple under a purple jet of light, watched as Karkus, the giant with the crown, spiked it into the earth like a winged black volleyball, where it was set upon by Death Eaters screeching words Harry had never heard before. A spatter of black blood gleamed on Karkus's front like spilled ink.
"How horrible…" Luna said, stepping closer to the parapet to get a better look. There was a wide-eyed fascination in the way she said it, as though it were not really happening, as though it were all an elaborate and graphic portrait she was observing, "How horrible…"
"Shut up!" Ron said, his set jaw belying his nerves, "Just – shut up!" Hermione was silent, in gaping disbelief.
It was not a long battle – as soon as the Death Eaters were in any real danger, the Dementors began swooping in and out amongst the centaurs.
"Expecto Patronum!" Ginny whispered, her wand-tip glowing silver – she couldn't even manage a vapor.
But before she'd even finished the incantation, the Dementors had done their job, leaving the grounds littered both with dead, and with still-living, soul-less horse-men…and Bane was the last centaur left.
He was kneeling, his front foreleg at an odd angle, obviously broken, the other shaking under the strain of his weight. Finally he could no longer maintain the awkward position, and his rear legs collapsed underneath him, his arms flailing for balance. His bow fell from his grasp.
"Blood!" he roared, "Blood! Mars is bright to –"
His words, and his life, were ended with a jet of green light.
They hardly had time react, before there was another battle cry from the assembled mob below, and they began advancing on the castle doors once more.
"We should go," Harry said, determinedly.
"I agree!" Hermione said, "We ought to be back in the common room by now, it's obviously not – "
"I mean, we should go help!" Harry repeated, scowling as he headed towards the door, crouching low to the ground…
"No! Harry, please! Just – "
Hermione's words were interrupted by a thunderous boom from below. His need to know what was happening temporarily overriding his urge to help, Harry swore, and ran back over to the parapet.
"Keep your head down!" Ginny hissed like an angry cat, pushing his head lower.
"I've got to see!" he retorted, and checking that the coast was clear, he leaned out over the edge slightly.
The giants had gathered at the door, and were smashing it furiously with fists the size of boulders. The wood was splintering under their assault, but was slowly repairing itself, even as he watched. With a roar of frustration that showed his knobbly, yellow teeth, Karkus threw his shoulder into the door. The metal hinges creaked and whined ominously as they bent and stretched.
"It's not repairing itself fast enough!" Ron said, some of the fear having gone out of his face. He got into a crouching position like Harry, and reached an arm over the side, "Come on! Repar – "
"NO!" Hermione said, heaving him backwards, "We can't give away our position!"
"Hermione, what do you expect us to do!" Ron said, pushing her hand off of his shoulder in a foul temper, his jaw jutting aggressively, "Just watch them break into Hogwarts?"
It was the best thing Ron could have done – all Hermione's fear instantly vanished, and she seemed to grow half a foot, her eyes sparkling with anger. "Ronald Bilius Weasley! It's Harry that they're after! Do you want to give away our position now and jeopardize everything Dumbledore's been fighting to protect?"
"He's fighting to protect the whole school, Hermione, not just me!" Harry protested. The echoing thunderclaps against the creaking timbers, the roars of the giants, and the jeering of the Death Eaters was making Harry's nerves rattle and jangle like Filch's keys, "I should give myself up! At least he'd leave the –"
"No!"
"No way, Harry."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Luna sing-songed thoughtfully.
Any further argument was stemmed by the ear-splitting groan of metal and wood, crescendoing to an almighty crash.
"No… they've breached it!" Harry said, leaping up to take another look.
There was another great roar, and two oddly put-together, grayish figures emerged, climbing over the shattered door, fists swinging.
"It's Grawp!" Hermione cried, clapping a hand over her mouth once more, "Oh, no!"
"And it looks like he has company!" Ron pointed.
"Hagrid did mention he was looking for a lady friend for Grawp…" Harry said, unable to tear his eyes away, "I thought he was joking…" Under any other circumstance, he might have laughed…
The two of them were doing their best against four fully-grown giants, but it wasn't much use. Whoever Grawp's new girlfriend was, she was only a foot or two taller than he, and though they were both putting up a fierce fight, there was really no contest – their noses were quickly bloodied, and their eyes were growing puffy and bruised as they hammered away, without regard to the rain of blows Karkus and his cronies were dealing them. Harry winced as one particularly vicious uppercut from Karkus caught Grawp's new friend under the chin.
With a roar of rage, Grawp flung himself headlong at Karkus's midriff, who actually stumbled backwards, taken aback by his ferocity.
With a stupid, angry bellow, Karkus reached across his torso, and backhanded Grawp across the jaw. His head jerked at a funny angle – Harry got one glimpse at Grawp's dizzy, dazed expression, before his eyes closed and he hit the dirt with a loud thud. It was anyone's guess as to whether he was dead, paralyzed, or merely unconscious. Grawp's friend let out a shrill, piercing cry Harry wouldn't have expected to come from a giant.
"GRAWPY!" came a wounded howl from below.
"No!" Hermione said, her face drawn and panic-stricken, "No, Hagrid, don't!"
But there he was, shooting Stunner after Stunner at the assembled giants. Madame Maxime leapt out to his side a moment later, and Harry thought he recognized her French accent crying out a Conjunctivitis charm. His suspicion was confirmed as Karkus suddenly began squinting, and swatting at his streaming eyes, stumbling backwards until he fell to the earth, leaving a crater upon impact.
Even as the last of the giants was being felled and bound by Hagrid and Madame Maxime's spells, Harry felt a deathly chill as the hundreds of Dementors began sweeping towards the castle.
"Come on!" Harry bellowed. He barely had time to watch a silvery white phoenix burst through the main gates, before he stood, already dashing to the door, "There's too many! We have to go help them!"
For once, there was no argument, as Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Luna leapt to their feet, following him down the staircase. Harry's heart was hammering in his chest. For one breathtaking moment, he missed a step, and seemed to hover in mid-air, his stomach somersaulting – he stumbled, gripping the wall for support, but Ron's arm was instantly in front of his chest, keeping him upright.
"Alright?" he asked, as Hermione, Ginny and Luna swept past.
Harry simply nodded in response, and began running to catch up – he wanted to be first, just in case…in case…
He couldn't think about it.
"Happy thoughts!" he bellowed, as he roughly pushed past Ginny and Luna, "Start now!"
"Quidditch Cup," he heard Ron muttering, breathlessly from behind him, "First kiss…"
Harry concentrated, but it was hard to pull the images to himself…
Winning the Quidditch Cup…Ron's awkward, lopsided grin…Hermione's bushy head resting on his shoulder…the crinkled freckles on Ginny's nose when she smiled….
…Sirius laughing…
Harry rounded the corner and ran smack dab into black, billowing robes.
"Stupe – " shouted the figure.
"Silencio!" Harry cried, more out of panic and instinct than anything else. The words were already out of his mouth before he realized he'd run smack dab into Professor Snape.
"Finite incantatem!" Hermione squeaked, with a nervous wave of her wand, "We're sorry, we're sorry, we just – "
Over Snape's shoulder, Harry could see the rest of the Hogwarts Professors, their faces illuminated by silvery light, wands extended. Dumbledore seemed to be towering above them all, a peaceful smile on his face, surrounded by unearthly, ethereal light. Around their legs, and in front of them, legions of tea-towel clad house elves were alternately concentrating their energy, and casting their hands out towards the main gates, just as Dobby had done when he threw Lucius Malfoy across the room – but where was Dobby? Harry tried to find a glimpse of mismatched socks, or a tiny, hideous blazer…
Hang on - why was Snape back here? Shouldn't he be at the front lines with the professors down the hallway?
Or maybe…
Maybe he couldn't produce a Patronus?
Snape looked absolutely livid, and wasted no time using his regained power of speech.
"Have you lost your tiny Gryffindor minds!" he snapped, furiously.
"Ravenclaw," Luna said in a bored tone of voice, as though weary of constantly reminding people.
"What do you think you're – "
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Ron roared, and a massive, silvery lion leapt over Harry and Snape's heads, and tackled the Dementor which had already begun swooping down the hallway.
"Watch it!" Professor Sprout called, retroactively.
"Thank you for the prompt warning," Severus snarled, more to himself than anyone else, "Well, Potter? As long as you've decided to play hero, don't just stand there!"
Harry took a deep breath, shutting out Snape's derision, the battle cries, the chill creeping into his chest…
His Mum and Dad were smiling at him, Sirius throwing a lanky arm over each of their shoulders, laughing silently…
…he would probably see them again, soon.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
The enormous silvery stag erupted out of Harry's outstretched wand, and raced off to join the fray.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A silver-white otter gamboled joyfully down the corridor next to Ginny's lionness.
"Expecto Patronum!" Luna said casually.
Harry was momentarily blinded by a flash of light, and suddenly, a massive silver thestral was winging its way down the hallway, shaking its stringy mane, spindly legs cantering in mid-air.
"Oh," she said, slightly surprised, "I did it."
The wave of silver light swept down the hallway, engulfing the Professors gathered before them before they swept down the hallway. They could hear the agonized screech of the Dementors, as they were forced to flee.
"My word!" Professor McGonagall's voice echoed down the hallway, though they couldn't see her around the corner.
Dumbledore turned his gaze to where they were standing, a frown clouding his features.
"Be careful, Harry. Stay to the rear." His voice was whispering urgently in Harry's ear, as though he was standing right next to him.
Harry nodded jerkily, but panic was gnawing at his insides – what could they do? What was he supposed to do? He couldn't just stand here and watch while –
"What now?" Ron asked, nervously, "Should we, ah –?"
"Absolutely not," Professor Snape barked, wheeling on them again, "You are to go directly – "
"Back! Fall back!" called Mad-Eye Moody's hoarse voice, and all of a sudden, Aurors were backing into the corridor, pushing the Professors behind them.
"Here they come!" shouted Tonks. It took Harry a moment to find her – her spiky hair was jet black, and she seemed to have beefed herself up for battle – the muscles in her arms looked like rocks.
And then it happened – Harry saw the first jet of green light illuminate the faces of the gathered Professors, and fifty roaring voices filled his ears – Harry knew without seeing that Death Eaters were forcing their way through the shattered gates.
"Stupefy!"
"Lanceus!"
"AAAGH!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Aurors, Professors, and Death Eaters began shooting spells up and down the corridor, which was illuminated by every shade of light in the rainbow – every once in a while Harry heard the furious cry of a felled Death Eater. Suddenly, several house elves, still illuminated by green light, went flying backwards over the heads of the gathered professors.
"Harry!" cried Hermione, tugging on the back of his shirt.
"We've got to do something!" Harry shouted, raising his wand.
"Foolish boy!" Snape shouted, viciously, gesturing at the knot of Order members, "You have no target – you'll hit them!"
"Fall back!" Moody hollered again, stumping backwards towards them, "Fall – "
Another jet of green light shot down the hallway, and Mad-Eye Moody hit the stone floor with a dull thud.
"NO!" cried Tonks, her normally cheerful face contorted with anger, she leapt clean over his prone form, her wand already slicing through the air, "STUPEFY! STUPEFY! STUPEFY!"
"Go. Now!" Snape hissed with a wave of his wand, and Harry felt as though an invisible hand had shoved him forcibly backwards.
"Fall back!" Professor McGonagall's strident voice rang out.
"Harry, come on!" Ron had roughly grabbed his arm, and dragged him backwards – it was only then that Harry realized he'd been rooted to the spot.
"Harry Potter!" squeaked a tiny, desperate voice.
"Dobby!"
The house elf came pelting towards them, wearing one of Hermione's S.P.E.W. hats and his blazer jacket, his tennis-ball sized eyes seeming almost freakish, they were so wide.
"Dobby must protect Harry Potter, and his friends!" he panted, "Dobby will – "
There was a loud boom, a shriek, and suddenly a lively crackling sound reached Harry's ears…smoke began to filter into the corridor above their heads.
"Hurry, Harry Potter!"
They ducked behind the corner, safely out of spell-shot. Ginny roughly kicked open the nearest classroom door.
"Come on!"
They piled into the abandoned classroom, and slammed the door behind them. Harry immediately threw his back against the door, and peered through the crack.
"Harry, please!" Hermione begged, "Please, why are you – "
"Hermione, it comes down to me!" Harry replied, angrily, "I know you want to keep me safe, but I'm the one mentioned in the Prophecy…all this is useless unless I know what's going on! I have to know when it's the right moment!"
"The right moment for what?" shouted Ginny, fear lending a tinge of anger to her voice.
"Stupfey!" They could hear Snape snarling, "Expelliarmus!"
"Come away from the door!" Hermione barked.
"Mione, I –"
He turned to see her brandishing her wand, jaw set, her hair abnormally large and bushy.
"NOW!"
Harry ducked out of the way.
"Fenestra Unumvia!"
A jet of bluish light smacked into the door. The wood slowly began to swirl, like brown paint in water, until it gradually became as clear as a window.
"Good one, 'Mione!" Ron muttered, patting her on the shoulder.
"Now will you come away from the door?" Hermione snapped.
Harry took two jerky steps backward – he could still see Snape in the hallway, sending spell after spell down the corridor. Ginny stifled a shriek as a masked figure suddenly stepped into view.
"Ah…Lucius," snarled Severus, pausing a moment to stand upright.
"Traitor," came a silky sneer, "I suppose there's no point in this façade."
Lucius Malfoy pulled off his white mask. His normally pale face was somewhat flushed, strands of silky blond hair falling out of their tight queue.
"You knew, of course, that you would die for your betrayal," Lucius sneered, "That there could be no other fate for you."
"Bad, bad Master!" Dobby whimpered, rocking back and forth, and looking torn between hatred and fear, "Evil, dark, bad, Master!"
"What is he doing?" Ron whispered, incredulously, "There's a bloody battle going on right behind them!"
"Shh!" hissed Harry half-heartedly, transfixed by the scene before him.
"Of course," Snape replied, coolly, "But I intend to take a few of you with me."
"Careful, Snivellus," spat Lucius, "I made you who you are today. I offered you power when you were powerless. I gave you a family and a father, even when even your own rejected you."
"Your so called 'father' only ever cared how he could use me," spat Snape, "Do you feel powerful now, Lucius? You are as powerless as I am before him – and you are just as expendable."
"Any last words?" Lucius sneered, drawing his wand to chest-height.
"Yes," Snape sneered. Harry felt his stomach clench as he recognized the black pupils dilating, Snape's eyes rolling back in his head, "Your milksop whelp is a puling brat, and I'll see you in hell!"
"Avada Ked – " Lucius screamed. But Snape had let his wand fall, and, moving unnaturally fast, threw himself on Lucius Malfoy, his mouth open painfully wide, canines glinting evil and white, an expression of utter bloodlust on his normally stony, sallow face. Even as Snape threw himself onto Lucius Malfoy, two figures seemed to meld out of the shadows in the corridor – Harry only had a moment to recognize Mieva Pamira's drawn, pale face and bloodred lips before they were gone, screeching down the corridor to feed…
"He's…he's," Ron muttered feebly, "They're…"
"Vampires," Harry replied, his voice sounding strange and high-pitched with tension. He forced himself to swallow. "What now?"
"We have to go back to Gryffindor common room," Hermione said firmly, stepping forward, "No, Harry, no arguments! The Death Eaters are inside now, and you can't defeat Voldemort if you get Stunned or Killed, or who knows what!"
"Besides," Ginny interjected hastily, putting a hand on his arm, "You said it yourself – Gryffindor's the first place they'll look. I guarantee that's where they're headed next, Harry – you've got to stay one step ahead of them!"
Harry look into her chocolate brown eyes, and got the distinct impression Ginny had only said that last part to get him to agree, but another part of him knew she was right.
"Alright," Harry conceded, his nerves jangling, "Well, let's hurry!"
He burst through the door and began running, the others right behind him.
"Here!" screeched a voice. Harry ground to a halt, turning around to spy Rookwood, pointing at him and screaming, "He's here! I've – "
"NO!"
Dobby darted out of the classroom and stretched out his hand, a powerful wave of magic blowing Harry's fringe back. Rookwood would have shot backwards at least a hundred feet, were it not for the hard stone wall located at the end of the corridor, which put an abrupt end to his life.
"Run!" Dobby cried, as the din of shouted spells and anguished cries drew even closer, "Harry Potter, run! Dobby will hold them off!"
"Come on!" shouted Ginny as she and Luna pelted down the corridor.
"Move!" Ron yelled, pushing Harry roughly into a run, Hermione hot on their heels.
A stitch was beginning to develop in Harry's side, but he ignored it.
"You deserve it!" he told himself fiercely, irrationally, "You should have done more! You could have done more!"
His interior rant was interrupted as they reached the portrait hole. The Fat Lady shrieked as they came running towards her.
"Blibbering Humperdink!" Hermione shrieked. The Fat Lady quickly swung open.
"In! In, for goodness sakes!"
The portrait slammed shut behind him.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Stupefy!"
Harry's wand was jerked out of his hand, and he watched in horror as Hermione slumped to the ground next to him.
"Wait! Stop!" roared Seamus, jumping forward, his sandy blond hair disheveled, and his sweater torn, "It's them!"
Harry heaved an exhausted sigh of relief, and sank to the floor, his back to the portrait.
"Ennervate!" Ron shouted, and Hermione sat up abruptly, scrambling for her fallen wand.
"It's alright!" Ginny said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank God, you found them!" Katie beamed at Ron, vaulting over an overturned table to come and meet them.
"Found who?" Ron roared. His ears were splotchy red – Harry reasoned he was probably angry that they'd stunned Hermione. "Have you all gone mad!"
Harry noticed for the first time the bruise on Katie's cheek, and the overturned furniture in the common room.
"Sorry," Dean apologized, as he and Lavender strolled up from behind the sofa, "Saw a bit of action, I guess we're still on edge – well, I'm sure Ron told you all about it."
"Me! What are you – "
"Oh, come off it, Ron, you were brilliant!" interrupted Katie, grinning wickedly.
"Yeah, great job, mate – I thought we'd had it," Seamus laughed, his eyes sparkling.
"Are you all mental!" Ron hollered, "Someone explain what's going on!"
Katie's face went pale, "You mean – you don't – were you Obliviated, or something?"
"No, he wasn't," Harry said, standing slowly, his stomach gone icy, "Katie, what happened here?"
Katie was clearly shaken, her pale blue eyes wide, "W-we were attacked, Harry…it was two of them…"
"One of them was bald, and had a silver hand, like," Dean said, frowning.
"Wormtail," Harry spat.
"And there was this crazy lady with black hair," Seamus shuddered, "Looked like a banshee…"
"Oh no!" Hermione moaned, sinking to the floor once more, "A diversion – the entire attack on the gates was a diversion…They sent Bellatrix and Wormtail to get Harry…"
"Or the Secret Keeper," Harry said, glancing nervously at Ron, "How did they manage to get in?"
"T-they had P-p-professor Trelawney with them," Lavender said, her eyes shining. The very thought of it seemed to set her trembling, "We tried to get her away from them, b-but she wasn't… it wasn't…her…"
"We think it was the Imperius," Dean said, quietly, "She just crouched in the corner, and when they ran, she ran after them. She wouldn't look at anyone, just kind of stared off into space…"
"So they came in the North Tower," Hermione muttered, "But where are they headed now?"
"They might be trying to use her to find you?" Ginny offered, nervously.
"Or worse!" Hermione interjected, her head still buried in her hands, "They could be trying to get the Prophecy out of her!"
"What Prophecy?" Lavender asked, fearfully.
"We set up a kind of barricade," Katie interrupted, pointing to the tables behind them, "Well…"
She turned and eyed Ron strangely, "It was…Ron's idea…And then, after we managed to drive them off, he said he had to go and find you…"
"Shh!" Hermione said, holding up a hand, her ear to the portrait.
"Are you sure?" came Bellatrix's shrill, muffled voice – they could barely make it out.
"Yes! He ran this way!"
"No!" Lavender shrieked, "It's her! They're back!"
"Listen!" Harry shouted, "We'll take them by surprise! You lot stay here and defend the common room – we'll run out there, and scatter – make them chase us!"
"You're mad!" Katie cried, shaking her head vehemently.
"We have to draw them away! You can't hold them off forever, and I don't want them searching the whole of Gryffindor house for me!" Harry shouted, "Besides, we're the only ones who know they've got Trelawney! Dean, Seamus," he barked, "Cover us. Everyone scatter as soon as they see you – Stun as many as possible, and if you find Trelawney, stun her too – if she's under the Imperius, she's dangerous. Meet at the Room of Requirement as soon as possible!"
Hermione looked pale, and opened her mouth to argue.
"No time!" Harry shouted, "Everyone ready?"
"Ready!" said Ron, gravely, poised to sprint. Luna helped pull Hermione to her feet. Ginny gave an involuntary shudder to his left.
"Here it is! It's this one! The Fat One!" shouted the shrill voice from nearby.
"NOW!" Harry roared.
He shoved the portrait hole open, and ducked.
"STUPEFY!" Dean and Seamus roared in unison.
Harry launched himself out the portrait hole, nearly stumbling. All he could see were black robes, and the stone floor.
"It's him!" shrieked Bellatrix.
"Stupefy!" he hollered, not bothering to aim, and went pelting hell-bent for leather down the corridor.
"It's the Secret Keeper! And the Mudbl – "
Pettigrew's voice was interrupted by another "Stupefy!" and the portrait hole slammed closed.
"Ennervate! Ennervate! That way, follow them you idiots! The rest of you, with me!"
"Harry!" squealed Ginny.
He risked a glance over his shoulder, and saw Ginny close behind him. He reached back, and gripped her forearm, dragging her up level with him. The only sound Harry could hear was the blood rushing in his ears, Ginny's desperate panting breaths, and the clatter of footsteps, their own, and their pursuers, close behind them, far too close…
"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix shrieked.
Ginny screamed as a jet of green light narrowly missed her. Harry jerked her arm roughly as he darted down a side-corridor, dragging her with him.
"Silencio!" he roared, pointing his wand at the door of Filch's broom closet.
He kicked it in, threw Ginny inside, and followed immediately after, slamming it noiselessly behind him.
"Colloportus!" Ginny squealed, and it sealed with a silent squelch.
They panted heavily, trying to catch their breath.
"Is your arm alright?" Harry whispered.
Ginny nodded, unable to speak…she was clutching her shoulder, trying not to wince.
"S-s," stuttered another voice, to Ginny's right.
"Lumos!" Harry whispered, trying to control the volume of his voice as best he could.
"Protego!" Ginny cried, desperately, at the same time.
But it was unnecessary. At the sound of their voices, Draco Malfoy had dropped his wand, and resumed cowering into the far corner of the broom closet.
"Draco!" Harry whispered, incredulously, "What on earth are you – "
But he fell silent as footsteps clattered to a halt outside the door.
"Where did they go?" shouted a rough, male voice.
Bellatrix cursed violently, and then ordered, "You two, back that way. I'll go ahead. You, start checking doors."
There was another clatter of feet. Harry heard whoever was left open the classroom door across from them, and then slam it violently. Harry took a moment to glance at Draco Malfoy.
His pale, sweaty face was completely devoid of his usual arrogant sneer. Several strands of blond hair were stuck to his cheek. One foot was stuck in Filch's mopping bucket, half-full of dirty water, and he was gripping onto the brooms behind him, desperate to keep them from falling over, alerting anyone to his presence. His gray eyes met Harry's, wild with desperation.
"I can't die," he said, in a choked whisper, "I can't…they'll kill me…when my father – "
"Shut up!" Ginny whispered vehemently. The footsteps paused outside, in the corridor.
Draco bit his lower lip painfully, and squinched his face shut. Harry felt anger and disgust well up inside him. It was impossible that this was the same Draco Malfoy who'd ill-temperedly shoved him to the ground only a few hours ago, the same Draco Malfoy that actually still cared about who had which kind of blood, and who delighted when Gryffindor lost points. That arrogant, self-absorbed –
But looking at the sniveling cringer before him, Harry almost missed that Draco Malfoy. He was tired of this. He was sick and tired of it. He wasn't going to run and hide like this ferret.
He kicked the door open, catching the Death Eater square on the face with a loud, "Oof!"
"Stupefy!" he roared, and with a jet of red light, the Death Eater hit the ground.
"Hurry!" Ginny said, galvanized back into motion, "They'll have heard that!"
"Wait," Draco said, "Just – wait!"
He had regained his wand, though it was shaking desperately in his hands. He still didn't daring to move from his spot, pressed up against the brooms, but there was a crazy, feverish glint to his eye.
"Can't," he snivelled, "My father…I can't let you…"
"Petrificus Totalis!"
Draco's limbs snapped rigidly to his sides, and he fell sideways, his head hitting the stone painfully.
Harry leaned down, until they were eye to eye, Draco wincing from the pain in his skull.
"Stay here," Harry muttered through gritted teeth, as though he had a choice, "You owe me one…and you have some serious thinking to do."
"Harry!" Ginny squealed, tugging at his sleeve, "Come on!"
Harry slammed the closet door, disgusted at the relief printed on Draco's sweaty, frightened face.
Ginny led the way this time, Harry doing his best to overtake her. He kept trying to glance behind him, to see if they were following him.
"They're about thirty meters behind," shouted one of the portraits, a portly wizard wearing medieval robes.
"Thanks!" Harry shouted.
"Where are you heading?" cried a witch to his left.
"Room of Requirement!" shouted Ginny.
All of a sudden, it was as though the entire corridor was shooting upwards, like an elevator. Ginny tripped and fell flat on her front, Harry tumbling over sideways. The portraits and doors were shooting by them rapidly – it was like the walls had been replaced with slot machines.
Finally the corridor came to stop.
"Room of Requirement!" shouted a nearby portrait of a frizzy-haired witch, "In! Hurry!"
"Thanks!" Harry managed weakly. He stumbled dizzily to the door, Ginny staggering towards him as well.
"Hide!" he thought desperately, "Place to hide!"
He flung open the door, and staggered in, Ginny slamming it behind him. He looked around for a moment at the apparently empty room…
"Harry!"
All of a sudden, Arthur Aaronson and Broderick Johnson appeared, as though out of nowhere, and began helping him and Ginny to their feet.
"What's going on, here?" Harry asked.
"Harry!"
Hermione and Luna stepped forward, also seemingly out of nowhere.
"We didn't know where else to go," Arthur squeaked, "After the first attack, we figured the common room wasn't safe anymore, so we came here…"
"W-w-we kn-knew you'd sh'wup ev-v-entually," Broderick said, trembling.
"The room did something," Arthur continued squeaking. He'd forgotten to stutter in all the urgency. "If we just stand still no one can see us…"
"Stay here," Harry said, severely, "Don't go into the corridors again! It's not – "
"Harry!" Hermione said, gripping his arm, her face pale and worried, "Where's Ron?"
"He's not with you?" Ginny said, the color draining from between her freckles.
Harry felt as though an icy cold fist had seized his heart. But more than that – he knew. His nightmares began to replay in his mind, in slow motion…
No…This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening.
"Wait here," he said, and without waiting for reply, ran from the Room of Requirement.
His feet carried him horribly forward, as though they knew exactly where he was going. It was as though he were watching a terrible movie, and he knew the ending, but he couldn't change it…For a while, he only heard his own footsteps.
Then, horribly, an all-too-familiar voice began reverberating off the corridor walls…
"But you're going to die either way...surely you knew that? Don't you want to ease your suffering before you go? I can make it quite painless, you know..."
Harry heard a ragged, weary laugh of triumph. "Can't m-make me...tell you."
No. No. This wasn't happening. Not – happening!
Harry willed his legs to move even faster, as the voice echoed up the staircase. Harry flung himself down them, two at a time, commanding himself not to trip. He had to make it in time. He had to.
"Tell me, little hero, was it worth it?" Bellatrix simpered, "The sum total of your mediocre life is about to be thrown away...and all for a boy named Harry Potter. The meaning of your pathetic little existence is entirely defined by someone else. What makes him so special and you so un-special? What makes you willing to be second best, time and time again? Would it be such a crime to give in? Even Harry himself wouldn't begrudge you a painless death..."
He'd reached the bottom of the stairs. There they were, at the end of the corridor – flickering flames making their shadows leap up onto the wall, unreal and huge…He wouldn't let his nightmares become reality – he could change them. He could write his own ending…
"Never...Might as well...kill me," panted Ron's voice triumphantly – he sounded strange – high pitched, and off, somehow – Bellatrix must have hit him in the mouth.
"Oh, we can do better than that," Bellatrix Black said, her baby voice sweetly menacing, "Now beg, little hero...Beg for death..."
"I'LL KILL YOU!" The cry ripped from his throat, his legs suddenly working beneath him, charging down the flickering corridor, and he was there –
"Crucio!"
Harry flung himself in front of the curse – the last thing he saw before the pain hit was Ron's shocked face, gaping up at him from the ground, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.
The familiarity of the sensation in no way prepared him for the searing knives, jabbing his flesh – Harry screamed. For a moment he knew nothing but the pain, not even his own name. And then, with an almighty effort, he threw it off.
"Wha – Potter!" screeched Bellatrix.
He took advantage of her shock.
"Stupefy!" he hollered. For one horrible moment, he thought he'd missed – amidst all the other pain, he hadn't even felt himself hit the ground, so he hadn't had time to adjust his aim. Bellatrix flung herself to the floor as soon as he hollered the incantation – but after the blinding flash of red light, she lay still on the floor.
Harry turned, and reached a hand out to Ron, who was pushing himself upright against the wall, one of his arms obviously broken.
"Alright, Ron?" he asked, feeling as though he was either going to laugh or cry of relief.
Ron's eyes suddenly went wide and fearful.
"Gah!" cried Ron ineloquently. He apparently didn't have time to articulate, for in that very same moment, he seized Harry about the shoulders and roughly shoved him to the side.
and the wind was knocked out of Harry as he hit the stone floor once more, several ribs cracking in the process.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" shrieked Bellatrix, that very same moment.
The wind was knocked out of Harry as he hit the stone floor once more, several ribs cracking. He watched, his whole torso protesting, as the jet of green light moved in slow motion over his head, just a scant foot or two above him, and connected squarely with Ron's chest. His blue eyes went wide in surprise, an expression all-too-achingly familiar, and his ginger head connected with the stone wall with a sickening "smack!"
Harry didn't hesitate. He didn't even think.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he roared, pointing his wand at Bellatrix.
She had only a split second to realize - to realize that she had missed, that she was doomed, and that it had been a very bad mistake indeed to kill the people Harry Potter loved most - before the green light had erupted from Harry's wand, and seized her. Her shocked, pale face, made gaunt through years of evil, glowed an eerie green that made Harry nauseous. She fell first to her knees, her red lips jerking spasmodically, and then crumpled to the floor, her long, stringy black hair fanning out on the stones – dead.
Harry heard footsteps running towards him.
"Let them come," he thought, letting his head fall back, wearily, "Let them kill me. I don't care."
He felt utterly drained, and somehow despoiled…as though something cold, slimy, and scabrous as a Dementor's hand had reached into his chest and stroked a bony finger down his heart, and he would never be clean again – he had the sudden crazy urge to tear his own chest open, and scrub away at his heart, scrub until it bled clean again…his scar seared, and he though he heard high-pitched laughter, though it was hard to separate from the ringing in his ears…
The footsteps stopped abruptly.
"Oh, God," Ginny's quiet whimper came.
"What should we do?"
That was Arthur Aaronson – he'd recognize that squeak anywhere.
"Go get help," Ginny whispered, robotically, "Now. Go."
Two sets of feet pelted down the hallway.
"Ron? Ron!" Ginny's voice was getting more and more desperate, "Harry!"
"Mmn." Harry was being shaken. He opened his eyes to see Ginny gaping down at him, and he supposed he ought to say something reassuring, but could think of nothing, so he just stared, stared straight through her…
"Hermione! He's alive!" Ginny shouted, smacking Hermione on the leg to get her attention, "Check on Ron!"
"Oh god," Hermione muttered. She came into Harry's field of vision as she knelt down next to Ron, seizing his shoulders, shaking him…
"Wake up. Wake up!" Harry couldn't tell whether she was talking to Ron or herself.
"Harry?" Ginny asked, her chocolate brown eyes finding his again, "What happened? Are you hurt?"
He couldn't even begin to find the words.
"Bellatrix…" he muttered.
"Is she stunned, Harry?"
Harry shook his head. "Dead."
Ginny's mouth dropped open – her face was pale, making her freckles stand out, and her ginger hair look even redder…Harry couldn't stand to look at her. He squinted his eyes shut.
"Wake up!" came Hermione's voice, sounding more like her bossy self, "Ronald Bilius Weasley, you wake up this instant, or – or I'll – I'll never forgive you!"
Harry felt Ginny's hands leave his shoulders. No. He had to tell them, first – tell them not to look…He heaved himself to his side, struggled to sit up.
"Ennervate!"
Hermione was waving her wand over Ron's prone form, his head in her lap. Her voice was getting higher and more frantic again, as she sobbed for breath, "Ennervate!"
"No," Ginny said quietly, kneeling next to her brother, her voice suddenly very deep and calm, "No. No."
"Ennervate, Ennervate, ENNERVATE!"
Hermione's wand arm fell limply to her side, and put her head back against the cold stones, tears streaking silently down her face, her chest shaking.
"Ron?" Ginny asked, sounding very young.
"GAAAH!" Hermione finally howled – she didn't seem to be able to breathe unless she was screaming or crying.
"Ron?" Ginny asked again, her voice very high-pitched now, "Ron?"
"What's going on here?" came a familiar, impossible voice, "Holy buggering hell! That's me!"
Harry followed it to its source, to see Ron standing there in all his tall, gangly glory, every ginger hair and freckle perfectly in place, blue eyes fixed in an expression of nervous confusion, with Luna Lovegood and Broderick Johnson at either flank.
"They were in the Room of Requirement," Broderick said, hastily, "They were the only ones there…"
"Who are you!" Hermione shrieked angrily up at the other Ron, standing there with that old befuddled expression on his face…She reached for her wand again, "Get away!"
" 'Mione!" Ron said, sounding wounded, "What…? Harry, are you alright?"
"Oh," Luna said, quietly, sounding quite unlike herself…For once in her life, Harry thought she looked genuinely disturbed.
"Move – move!" barked Professor McGonagall's familiar voice, as she came running forward with Albus Dumbledore, Arthur Aaronson, and Kinglsey Shacklebolt, who was wearing a Death Eater's Robes, and had his arm heavily bandaged.
"Must have been the Imperius," Harry thought, dully, "At least they all survived."
She was pulled up short by the sight before her.
"What on earth are you all doing! Get back to your common rooms, we still don't know if any of them are left lurking about the…"
She trailed off as her eyes moved from Ron Weasley standing next to Luna to Ron Weasley whose head was lying in Hermione's lap.
"Incarcerous!"
Thick ropes shot out of Professor McGonagall's wand, tying Ron Weasley tightly – he gave a yelp, and almost tumbled over, but Broderick and Luna put a steadying arm on either side of him.
"I apologize, Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall said, her mouth a thin line, "Just a precaution."
"Check his pockets," Dumbledore said, sadly. Harry groaned inwardly – what had Dumbledore already guessed? "I believe there has been a terrible misunderstanding."
Hermione and Ginny quickly checked the prone Ron's pockets, and Ginny held up a sickly familiar purple end of a Snackbox.
"Under his tongue, then, please," Dumbledore said, sadly.
Harry struggled to a sitting position, and watched as Ginny gingerly put the purple end of the Snackbox into the dead Ron's mouth, as a still-living Ron looked on, still bound by ropes and looking pale and confused.
There was a moment's pause, and slowly, the Ron lying on the floor became not-Ron, his ginger hair turning smoother and blonder, his face growing pudgier…
"No," Luna said, calmly, "There's obviously been some kind of mistake."
Neville Longbottom lay with his head in Hermione's lap, a peaceful expression on his face. He looked positively angelic – it was horrible. Harry was reminded inexorably of the smile on Theodore Nott's face, after the Dementors had gotten to him, still disguised as Neville…All he had to do was superimpose the dark, frozen veins onto the face before him…the lips turned blue…
"This isn't real," Luna said, calmly, letting go of Ron, and sitting abruptly on the stone floor, "Any moment now I shall wake up." Harry heard the faintest of quivers in her voice.
"I'm afraid it is real, Miss Lovegood," Dumbledore said, his face infinitely sad and careworn, as he Evanesced the ropes binding Ron with a casual flick of his wand. Harry could tell the battle had taken a lot out of him already, and to be confronted with the death of yet another student…
"I should have done more," Kingsley said, his normally deep voice sounding strange with emotion, "I ought to have – "
"No one is blaming you," Professor McGonagall said, quietly, "Not everyone can fight off the Imperius curse on their own."
"Wh – Why?" Hermione stammered. She'd gone from utter grief to utter shell-shock. Ginny was crying quietly, her face in her hands.
"I believe Mr. Longbottom was attempting to provide a diversion," Dumbledore said, removing his spectacles wearily, to wipe the grit from his eyes, "He came to me after the events at the last Quidditch match, extremely upset that he'd almost betrayed Harry's secret…he wanted to know how else he could help. I told him that there was nothing more he could do, but I believe he took matters into his own hands."
"By pretending to be me!" Ron asked, incredulously. His voice sounded oddly hollow, and he looked as though he might be sick at any moment, "And is that Bellatrix Lestrange on the floor!"
"I believe Neville was attempting to provide a diversion – he most likely got the idea directly from Theodore Nott, who impersonated him, also by use of a Polyjuice Snackbox. He knew the Death Eaters would be looking for Harry's Secret Keeper, and that if they captured him, Harry and his family would no longer be safe. However, if they captured Neville, believing him to be Ron, they could never force the Secret from him, no matter how hard they tried. So he ordered a Polyjuice Snackbox from Fred and George – they, of course, would sell to Neville – what reason would they have to object? He might have even told them it was for the D.A…"
Harry's stomach turned…he remembered Neville had been sitting on Ron's bedspread that night – It would be so easy to pinch one of Ron's characteristic ginger hairs…
"I can't right now," rang Neville's voice in his memory, obscured by the velvet hangings around his bed, "But don't worry, Harry. I won't let you down."
"In essence, he turned himself into a decoy," Dumbledore concluded, wearily, "If he couldn't keep the Secret, he could protect the Secret Keeper, and by extension, you, Harry."
"Except of course, that's not Neville," Luna said, her voice extremely high-pitched, pale blue eyes wide and determined, "No, it's someone else. A Metamorphmagus. Obviously."
"Metamorphmagi can't transform once they've…passed on," Professor McGonagall said gently.
"This one can," Luna said, fiercely. Ginny's sobbing grew a bit louder.
"I should get Harry to Headquarters," Kingsley said, shaking his head slowly, "We don't know if there are Death Eaters left in the castle, or where The Dark Lord might be."
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded, "You'll have to – "
"I'll take Harry on the planned escape route," Kingsley said, firmly, taking Harry by the arm, and hoisting him to his feet.
"Very well," Professor McGonagall said, "We'll take the rest back to their common room, and conduct a more thorough search of the school."
Harry didn't even think to say goodbye to Ron, Hermione, Ginny, or Luna…all he could think about was…
"Disgusting," the voice in his head said, "You murderer, you disgusting, selfish…he saved your life…and you performed an Unforgiveable…he was noble, and you're practically one of them. You were too late to save him…it's because of you…it's all because of you…"
"Come along, Harry."
Kingsley was walking awfully fast. His grip was firm on Harry's arm. He wanted to tell him to wait, tell him to give him a moment to collect himself, tell him that half his ribs were broken, that he'd done dark magic and didn't deserve to live…But it was better, he supposed, that he get to safety as fast as possible.
He was leading him to the Main Gates – bodies littered the hallway, whether stunned or dead, Harry could not say. He recognized Mad-Eye Moody's matted gray hair, and forced himself to look away, lest he recognize anyone else. Smoke filled the air, there were dark stains on the walls that Harry didn't care to identify, and the ashes of the main gate swirled, and stung as they walked through them.
"Are you sure about – "
"Yes," Kingsley said, "The grounds are secure...No one will bother us, Harry. Besides, we have to get off Hogwarts Grounds in order to Apparate."
He was going to ask why they didn't just use a Portkey, or Floo from Dumbledore's office, but he was too weary to form words, and found that he didn't really care what the answer was. This all felt far too familiar.
"This is how I felt," Harry thought, dully, "When Cedric died. Only worse."
"Come on," Kingsley said. As much as he wanted to assure Harry that it was safe to be outside, his voice was rather higher than usual.
They reached the Whomping Willow, which immediately began thrashing. Kingsley took out his wand, and with a muttered spell, sent a pebble flinging at the knot at the tree's roots. The Willow immediately stopped its Whomping, and the small tunnel opened up.
"After you, Harry," Kingsley said, nudging Harry ahead of him, "We'll go to the Shrieking Shack first, and Apparate from there."
Robotically, Harry climbed down into the tunnel, Kingsley scrabbling after him.
"Dumbledore must have told you about the secret passageway."
"Mm? Yes, yes. Keeps the Order well informed of any developments."
But something about all this didn't smell right.
"Why don't you go ahead?" Harry asked.
"No, Harry, I think you ought to stay ahead, so I can watch your back," Kingsley said. There was something odd in the way he walked – stooped, and ungraceful.
"How's the arm?" Harry asked.
"Hmm?"
Harry pointed at the bandaged arm still in a sling, that Kingsley was using to push a root out of his way.
"Oh," Kingsley said, "Still hurts. I suppose I didn't notice…with everything…We really must get going, Harry, I want to get you back to Headquarters as soon as possible."
"And where is Headquarters?" Harry asked, pointedly.
"Where?"
"What's the address?"
"The address?"
"Why are you repeating the question?" Harry asked, bluntly, "Just tell me where –"
"Accio wand!" Kingsley shouted, in reply, and Harry's wand zipped out of his back pocket, and was darting through the air. Harry quickly stretched out an arm to grab it, and immediately regretted it – his ribs exploded in pain, and he gritted his teeth, hunched over, with one arm wrapped around his trunk and the other leaning on the gritty tunnel wall for support. Kingsley had reached to grab the wand – but his bandage caught on the root he'd been holding aside, ripping it asunder –
The glint of silver was unmistakable, even in the dim light of the tunnel.
"Wormtail," Harry said, quietly.
