Chapter Twenty-Six

An Attack at Hogwarts

"So it's true," came a soft drawl from beneath on of the robes. Lucius Malfoy lowered his hood and stepped forward. "Albus Dumbledore, the great old sorcerer and Muggle-lover himself, is dead. How fantastic. And using my wife's niece to fool us all--think you're clever, do you?" he sneered.

From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Lupin step protectively in front of Tonks. They were both grasping their wands tightly. In fact, the whole Order--the Weasleys, Professor McGonagall, Mad-Eye Moody, Mundungus Fletcher, Hagrid, Lupin, Tonks, a handful of other members, and, to Harry's surprise, the bartender of the Hog's Head, the dodgy bar in Hogsmeade--had formed a line across the entrance to the Great Hall, blocking the Death Eaters from entering any further than the threshold. Mrs. Figg stood off to the side, wringing her hands, unsure of what to do.

"AJ," Mad-Eye growled. "You dirty little--"

AJ pointed his wand directly at his uncle. "Dirty little what, Uncle Alastor? I have greater powers than you ever will, and I have the Dark Lord to thank for that. My mother always made sure I knew where our loyalties should lie … with power. Dumbledore was too weak for his powers."

"You ever have the courage to tell my brother to his face?" the Hog's Head's bartender growled. Harry gaped at him; was this Aberforth Dumbledore, the brother Mad-Eye Moody had once mentioned?

"I needn't have. He knew how weak he was; why did he never try to stop our Dark Lord if he had all the power you pretend he did? Look at him now. He's dead, while our Dark Lord is stronger than ever. You tried to stop him. Brewing those potions … little good those did. And little good they'll do, now that your precious dragon is dead." He grinned at Hagrid and Charlie's horrified faces. "Oh, yes. It wasn't hard, with the help of my mates here. Kill the other keepers, target the stupid beast right in his weakest spots. His precious blood is spilling out all over the grounds, and here you all are … powerless. The Dark Lord thanks you all for trusting me so. He couldn't have known about Norbert otherwise." AJ began to advance toward Harry. "And once Harry Potter is dead, nothing will stop our Dark Lord from realizing all of his power!"

Harry wasn't sure who disarmed AJ, but the wand flew from AJ's hand and he was slammed against the wall in an instant. At that moment, spells began flying any which way.

The Death Eaters shoved their way into the Great Hall. Harry saw Mrs. Figg grab the box containing Dumbledore's wand and slip out of the hall, unnoticed by any of the Death Eaters.

"Harry, there are so many!" Hermione cried as even more Death Eaters appeared in the doorway. There had to be at least twenty-five of them.

"Scared, Mudblood?" Draco Malfoy hissed as he pushed his way toward Harry. "This is what we've been waiting for all term, isn't it? A fight no one will stop. A fight you haven't got a chance of winning. No Dumbledore to help you, no pathetic Mudblood mother to protect you …"

Harry's fists balled at his sides, and suddenly, he heard Dumbledore's voice ringing in his ears, "Keep your head." What Harry wouldn't give to slug Malfoy for the third time this term, but this wasn't the time … spells were flying everywhere, and Malfoy wasn't even near the most dangerous wizard in the Great Hall. Besides, Harry was looking around for Peter Pettigrew … if there was one wizard Harry wanted to face-off against, it was Pettigrew. He relaxed his fists and raised his wand to curse Malfoy, who was ready to get Harry …

"Stupefy!" Ron shouted, zapping Malfoy. "Slimy git!" he cried as Malfoy fell backward.

"Good one, Ron!" Harry yelled, turning just in time to help Ginny send a beefy Death Eater flying across the room.

"Oy, Harry, watch out!" George Weasley cried. Harry ducked, just barely avoiding a jet of purple light sent by another Death Eater. George returned the spell with a streak of pale blue light … no, not light--goo. George and Fred Weasley both had Fantastic Freezing Guns!

The Death Eater stumbled back, his face paralyze. "George, have you got more of those?" Harry yelled, ducking another spell and jinxing Vincent Crabbe.

"Just ours, mate," George replied, missing a shot fired toward AJ Moody.

The Fantastic Freezing Guns would be perfect, but how could Harry get his? It was all the way up in his dormitory. He had been in a situation like this before, he thought, but when? And what had he done? …

The Triwizard Tournament! When he was facing the Hungarian Horntail and needed his broomstick … now, concentrating as hard as he could while ducking Death Eaters, Harry raised his wand and cried, "ACCIO, FANTASTIC FREEZING GUN!"

Not a moment later, there was a strange whizzing, and then Harry's Fantastic Freezing Gun--untouched since Christmas--flew into the Great Hall and landed at his feet. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had seen it fly in and were now trying to summon their own guns, which appeared moments later.

"Think that'll help you, Potter?" Malfoy spat, pulling himself up from the ground and darting around dueling couples. "Looks like a heap of garbage to me!"

"Think so, Malfoy?" Harry said, raising the gun.

"Try it, Potter. Before you even have that lousy Muggle-thing aimed, I'll have killed you and finished the job our Dark Lord couldn't."

There was a sharp gasp from the Death Eaters who had heard him. "Draco!" Luciius Malfoy sputtered. "I … I cannot--"

"You must kill him, Lucius," a tall, dark-haired Death Eater said in a booming voice as the fighting around them died down. The Death Eaters began to heckle the Malfoys.

"He cannot speak ill of our master!"

"Kill him; he's a traitor!"

Lucius Malfoy looked from the Death Eaters to his son. "But he does not mean it! He does not know what he says!"

The tall Death Eater pointed his wand between Mr. Malfoy's eyes. "If you allow treason to be committed against the Dark Lord, then you ask for death yourself," he snarled.

"No!" Mr. Malfoy shrieked. "No, I won't allow treason! I won't, I won't!"

To Harry's disbelief, Lucius Malfoy flinched and raised his wand toward Draco. "I will not allow treason against my master, the Dark Lord," he said firmly.

"Father--" Malfoy said, a note of panic in his voice.

"I will not allow treason!" his father screamed.

"Dad!"

"Ava--!"

Harry shot quickly, paralyzing Lucius Malfoy's wand arm before he could finish the curse. Draco fell to the ground, cowering. The other Death Eaters circled around him, chanting.

"Kill him!"

"Traitor!"

"Get him!"

"Get Potter!" But the members of the Order had begun to advance on the circle of Death Eaters, and fighting resumed. Tabitha and Tonks helped Draco Malfoy up and immediately allowed Fred Weasley to paralyze all his limbs and his mouth with the Fantastic Freezing Gun. Tabitha shoved him into a corner, where no one noticed him.

"Well, that was bloody stupid, mate!"

Harry looked up, surprised. Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom were standing in the doorway. Behind them were nearly all the members of the DA.

"You saved Malfoy!" Seamus Finnigan yelled. "Bloody idiot!"

"Get out of here, the lot of you!" Harry yelled.

Professor McGonagall had spotted them and turned white. "Get out, get out, quickly!" she yelled.

The Death Eaters had taken notice. A couple of them began to advance toward the students.

"Sixth and seventh years stay!" Harry yelled. "Get the younger kids--"

He recoiled as a bright green light struck Danny Flanagan, who was standing beside Seamus. Danny's body lurched back and dropped to the floor; Hermione screamed.

A few of the older students paled, but after a moment, they had their wands ready and had jumped into the fray. Hermione leapt forward, shaking, and pulled the younger students out of the Great Hall. Harry turned back to the fight, just in time to avoid a jinx from Goyle's father.

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the Weasley twins were cursing and jinxing with their wands, firing wherever they could with their Fantastic Freezing Guns. Soon, a handful of Death Eaters were on the ground, paralyzed, but there still seemed to be too many to fight off all at once.

There was another jet of bright green light. Fred Weasley slumped to the ground. "No!" Ginny shrieked. George uttered a long, low howl of rage and stabbed forward with his wand, cursing anyone he could.

Harry turned away. He couldn't do this anymore. They were losing. Two down already … and he hadn't been paying attention to the older members of the Order. Any one of them could have been killed … two already …

Keep your head.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, his head pounding. Keep your head.

He looked around. Some members of the Order and Death Eaters had dueled their way out of the Great Hall, or into the small antechamber at the far end of the room; Harry couldn't see everyone. Malfoy was still lying a corner; his father was dueling with Aberforth Dumbledore. Mad-Eye Moody was taking on two Death Eaters … and there, on the ground, the traitor himself, AJ Moody, staring up lifelessly … Mrs. Weasley was fighting a short, stocky man, and coming off better in their fight, from what Harry could see … but where was Tabitha? He couldn't lose her; even his dad and Sirius had said, after all he'd lost, at least he had her …

Finally, he spotted her, off in a corner, darting around, ducking spells from an older, dark-haired woman who looked remarkably like her … Bellatrix Lestrange. And she wasn't alone in fighting her cousin; Neville had made his way over there, too.

Lucius Malfoy appeared out of nowhere and stunned Harry. He flew back, hitting his head on the wall. He groped around for his wand and his gun, which he'd dropped when he hit the wall. Lucius Malfoy was advancing on him.

"I had a duty to perform," he hissed. "That is the last time you'll stop me, boy!"

Still unarmed, Harry threw his legs forward and kicked with all his might. His feet made contact with Malfoy's chest, and Malfoy fell onto his back.

Harry grabbed his wand and his Fantastic Freezing Gun and jumped up. He looked back toward Neville and Tabitha. Bellatrix was about to curse them, but before she could, Neville shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Her wand flew into his hand, and he snapped it with a mighty Crack!

Bellatrix shrieked and swung out with her fist. Tabitha jumped in front of Neville, and Bellatrix's fist made contact with Tabitha's left shoulder. Tabitha threw her wand to Neville and attacked Bellatrix with as much fervor as she could muster. Her arms—strong and muscular from her days as a Beater—looked capable of killing. She punched Bellatrix about the face and pulled her hair. Bellatrix clamped her teeth on Tabitha's arm and kicked Tabitha's shins. They became a tangle of long, dark hair and raging fists. Neville stood back, his wand poised.

They had rolled closer to where Neville stood. As Tabitha furiously beat her cousin, Bellatrix reached out, grasping half of her broken wand. Harry didn't see anyone coming up behind him …

"No!" Harry yelled. "Tab—!" Lucius Malfoy hit him with a Stunning spell. Harry flew backward again. He pulled himself up desperately … but Bellatrix had done it.

Tabitha was clutching her side, her hand covered in fresh blood. Her mouth was opening and closing in silent shock. She staggered around in a circle, finally dropping to her knees. Bellatrix's delighted shrieks filled the room.

Instinctively, Harry shot Lucius Malfoy's face full of blue goo, targeting his arms and legs next. Once Malfoy was on the ground, Harry ran to Tabitha's side. Bellatrix was still shrieking happily.

Tabitha's face was white. "No, no," Harry muttered, feeling tears springing to his eyes. "Tabitha, no, please …"

She looked up, staring past Harry. "Kill him," she said. "Kill him for me."

"Her, you mean," Harry said. "It's Bellatrix."

"No, him."

Harry looked over his shoulder. Just feet behind him, Peter Pettigrew was watching, wide-eyed.

Harry leapt up before Pettigrew had a chance to react. He grabbed Pettigrew's robe, shaking him violently. "Save her!" he snarled. "I saved your life once; save hers now, and we're even!" Pettigrew didn't speak, only stood shaking under Harry's rage. "Now!" Harry yelled. "Bring her up to Madam Pomfrey, or I'll kill you now!" When Pettigrew didn't move, Harry pulled his arm back and let it swing forward, landing a spectacular blow to Pettigrew's face.

Peter Pettigrew began to cower under Harry. "I'll take her, I'll take her!" he wept.

"If I find you've taken her anywhere else," Harry growled, "I'll make sure you die the way the wizarding world believes you did."

Shaking, Pettigrew lifted Tabitha from the ground, his silver hand gleaming. Tabitha was staring ahead lifelessly.

"Two Muggle-loving pieces of filth wiped from my family tree, and all thanks to me!" Bellatrix Lestrange gloated, still laughing.

Harry and Neville cursed her at the same time. She stumbled back, but nothing more. Harry fired his gun at her, but only a few pathetic drops of goo squirted out.

"It's all right, Harry, I've got her," Neville said. He pointed his wand menacingly. "Cr-crucio!"

Harry watched in horror as Bellatrix Lestrange fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Neville looked at him, his face full of both immense guilt and awe.

"Neville!" Harry cried.

"I--I had to Harry. I can't believe I did it, but … I had to." Flinching, as though he were in pain himself, Neville performed the curse again.

"Neville, stop!" Harry cried. He looked around; the addition of the Fantastic Freezing Guns to the battle had slowed the Death Eaters; there were only a handful left standing, most of them lugging around paralyzed arms and other parts. Harry spotted Fred Weasley's gun lying beside his lifeless body. With a shudder, Harry sprinted forward and snatched the gun.

He saw Ginny still fighting a rather burly Death Eater, with the help of Dean Thomas and Ernie MacMillian. "Ginny, use your gun!" Harry yelled. "Paralyze them before anyone else gets hurt!" Just then, a Death Eater knocked Lupin over and hurled himself at Harry. Harry hit him with the paralyzing goo and ran back to Neville.

Neville was standing over Bellatrix Lestrange, a horrified look on his face. "Harry--I didn't … she's not …"

Harry leaned down and stared at Bellatrix Lestrange … the woman who tortured Neville's parents to insanity, who killed Sirius Black … who may have killed Tabitha. Harry heard her take a quiet, strangled breath, and disappointment washed over him. "You didn't kill her, Neville," he said, aiming a stream of blue goo right in Bellatrix's face. He shot all her limbs and walked slowly around the room.

Not a single Death Eater stood standing; they were all immobilized by the Weasley's twin's Fantastic Freezing Guns. AJ Moody was dead, but Harry couldn't see if any of the others were, too.

Mad-Eye Moody, Aberforth Dumbledore and Hagrid were circling around the DA students, making sure they were all okay. Professor McGonagall was standing, horrified, over Danny Flanagan's body. Harry followed her gaze around the room and saw only Mundungus Fletcher in a heap on the ground, but after a moment, Harry saw him slowly pull a flask from his pocket and sneak it to his lips. Tonks and the other members of the Order were hauling the paralyzed Death Eaters to one large heap in the middle of the room.

Mrs. Weasley was hugging Ginny, Bill, and George tightly, sobbing. Mr. Weasley was standing over them, his head in his hands. Fred lay at their feet. Harry's heart sank. He couldn't believe it, not Fred …

Fred's hand twitched.

As quickly as it had sunk, Harry's heart soared into his throat. "He's alive!" he cried, running toward the Weasleys. "Look at Fred!"

Shaking, Mrs. Weasley leaned down and held Fred's hand. Harry took a deep breath when he saw Fred's head lift wearily.

But where were Ron and Hermione? Panicked, Harry ran to the antechamber at the far end of the room. He stumbled right over Ron in the threshold.

"Ron!"

"He's fine, Harry," Lupin said shakily. Harry looked around. Lupin was sitting in the middle of the room, looking dazed. "We were condunded," he said.

"Confunded?"

"Yes. He was talking a moment ago … but Harry."

"Ron? … Yes, Professor?"

Ron looked at him with a dazed smile. Harry sighed in relief.

"Harry, he's dead."

"No, Professor, he's fine, he's just smiled at me."

"No, Harry …"

Ron was sitting up as Bill and Mr. Weasley ran into the room. "Ron! Oh, thank g--"

Harry followed Mr. Weasley's stare to a fallen tapestry sitting to Lupin's left. It looked like it had fallen during a struggle; there was someone tangled in it, splayed on his stomach.

Bill jumped over Ron and Harry and pulled the tapestry up. "No," he murmured. "No."

"Wake Charlie; he's been stupefied," Ron said dully.

"Oy, Charlie!" Bill cried. He raised his wand. "Ennervate!" But as when Harry had knocked out Tabitha during their first Occlumency lesson, Charlie didn't get up. Bill resorted to shaking his brother, but Charlie remained still. He rolled Charlie onto his back.

Ginny and Hermione had appeared in the doorway at that moment, looking for Ron. They gasped, bursting into tears a moment later. Charlie's brown eyes were open wide, a lifeless look of anger on his face. Mr. Weasley stumbled forward and fell over his son, too exhausted to do anything but shake silently and tearlessly. Ron backed himself into the wall in disbelief. He shook his head back and forth. "No," he whispered. "Charlie …" Bill leaned over his brother and cried.

Harry back out of the antechamber and raced out into the Great Hall. "Harry!" Hagrid called as Harry ran by. "What's happened?"

Harry ignored him and streaked upstairs toward the hospital wing.