Disclaimer: I don't think I need to tell you that I don't own Harry Potter. It's ovious.
Harry walked out onto the grounds of Hogwarts. It was absolutely silent except for the footsteps coming from Ginny, Hermoine, Ron, Neville, Fred, and George following Harry onto the grounds. A thick gray mist hung in the air. A slight wind swept over the grounds stirring the group's hair and sending chills down their spines. The conditions made for very poor visibility, which unnerved Harry. He heard Dumbledore's last words to Harry as though he were standing next to him now.
"Harry, sight is an easy thing to fool. If ever you find yourself blinded do not fret over it, but let your other senses take over. Use your instincts, use you brain."
That had been the day before Dumbledore's death. Harry stood still for a moment, letting his instincts take over. Suddenly, he whirled around to his left and shouted "Stupefy!" A thud was heard and, as if on cue, Death Eaters began to emerge from the fog. They wore their long, billowing black robes and white masks, but there was something different about them, they walked with more confidence, as if they knew that Harry was no match for them. There were probably one hundred of them visible, and what sounded like hundreds more were heard behind the veil of fog.
"Stay together, stay with me, don't…." Harry's friends never heard his last part because another voice interrupted. It was one that they had all hoped never to hear again.
"Awww, is wittle Hawy twying to keep his fwiends safe?" came the sickeneingly sweet voice. Her tone changed abruptly as she talked of Voldemort. "The Dark Lord will be here to see you soon Harry. You will get your chance to be a hero and die trying to protect this filth that you call your friends. You will get the honor of dying at his hand." She laughed a deep, maniacal laugh.
"You ruined my family." Neville's voice was low and sounded dangerous. Nobody had ever heard him sound like that, quite frankly, it scared them.
"Oh, awe you you wittle Neville? Youw pawents begged fow mewcy. They were fools to cross the Dark Lord. I bet you miss youw family huh? Imagine, youw whole family being murdered by my Lord. All except your bewoved Uncle Algie. He was the smart one to come to our side. It was a very good…"
"Silencio!" Hermoine cried seeing the effect Bellatrix's speech was having on Neville. He shook fiercely and his face had gone very pale.
"BITCH!" he screamed and dove headlong into her. She fell over backwards and Neville pounded every inch of her with his bare fists. His wand lay forgotten beside Harry. Harry cast a shield around Neville as spells flew his way. Suddenly, Neville stopped. He stood up and looked down at Bellatrix with such hate in his eyes that she momentarily went into a state of shock. This moment was all Neville needed. He grabbed her wand and snapped it in half again and again until there were about fifty tiny pieces littering the ground. The death eaters stood still for a minute, impressed that this inferior wizard would even have thought about such a thing as snapping the wand. They were so busy watching the drama between Bellatrix and Neville that they didn't notice when Harry conjured a ball of silver mist from his wand and speak into it. They didn't notice when it sped past their feet and made its way up the tower torwards the headmistress's office. Harry knew now that help was on the way. Headmistress McGonagall would be there any minute with an army of Order members right behind her.
Neville turned away from Bellatrix and walked calmly back towards Harry.with a look of mingled sadness and triumph on his face. It was a look not often worn by Neville. In fact, nobody present had ever seen it on him before. He looked quite striking with it.
"Well wasn't that a heart felt moment? I always do enjoy a reunion." Came the cold, drawling voice of Luscious Malfoy, "Now if you don't mind, I would really like to get on with this. Narcissa is waiting for me. Avada Kedavara," he said almost lazily poining his wand at Hermoine. She jumped out of the way so that the curse flitted harmlessly by her. She sent him a stunner, but he too was able to dodge the curse.
The Death Eaters began to close in around the little group. Their circle shrank and spells were fired in every direction. Neville stood with his back to Harry's volleying curses with such skill and grace that nobody would have believed that it was Neville. Both of them were fighting on a level that none of the others could have achieved even after years of training. Their arms were a blur as the blocked and fired spells, always keeping an eye on the others in case they needed help. Even with all of the group fighting tooth and nail, giving it everything they had, and making a large dent in the number of conscious Death Eaters, they were badly outnumbered. The Death Eaters were still moving forward, this time for the kill.