Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling
Dies the Fire is owned by SM Stirling
Slytherin Rising was created by J.L. Matthews

Chapter 11: The Battle of Hogwarts

"Ginny! Wake up!"
"What? Oh. Go back to sleep, Luna."
"Ginny! Wake Up! Something bad is about to happen!"

This brought Ginny Weasley out of her stupor. She had learned to trust the intuition of her scatter-brained friend.

"Come on! Let's wake Hermione!" said Ginny.

Hermione and Ron proved even harder to waken than Ginny. The scales were tipped when a bright flash shone through the window. Ginny and Luna rushed to the window and saw something over the front gate of Hogwarts that they initially mistook for the Dark Mark. It was a gigantic glowing skull. But instead of a snake there were crossed human femur bones behind it and more bones trailing off them forming a swastika.

As Vernon Dursley charged forward, spear in hand, he felt like he was out side of his body watching someone running and screeching. Petunia had not adapted well to life in the cannibal army and ever since she had been eaten, Vernon had felt a deep sense of unreality. Of the Dursleys, only Dudley had jumped into his new role with both feet. Since The Change, Vernon had watched his son lead them further and further into depravity.
Out of the darkness, a figure appeared. Vernon prepared to thrust with his spear when his intended prey shouted. Vernon saw a flash of green light and then he saw no more -

As Dudley charged forward roaring with excitement, he saw a figure emerge from the darkness. His intended prey was pointing at the cannibal army shouting "Abracadabra" (or something like that) and shooting a beam of green light that would fell one of Dudley's companions. He did this again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again before Dudley got close enough to cast his spear through the chest of the freak that was killing his new friends.

Hermione Weasley had gathered all of the Gryfindors in the common room.

"Okay, first through fourth years stay here in the common room," began Hermione. "The fifth year prefects will stay with you. Fifth years and above, we need to make a stand at the front entrance. Go with Ron. Luna, do you know the passwords for all of the houses?"

"Of course, I always know the passwords." Replied Luna.

"Then you need to come with me so that we can alert the other houses."

Bellatrix arrived at the front gates of Hogwarts. She had the four giants set down her throne. She couldn't break through the wards that guarded the school gates. But her giants could batter them down. Her army gathered to watch as the last four giants in Britain took care of the gate. When the gates came down with a crash, She cast her version of the Dark Mark into the sky to announce the arrival of her cannibal army at Hogwarts. They charged forward with Bellatrix at the lead when suddenly she stopped short as a whip wrapped around her throat making light cuts around her neck. Argus Filch had jumped from his hiding place in a bush and lashed out at her with his whip.

"Avada Kedavra" Bellatrix gasped directing her wand at him.

Filch ducked and rolled realizing the foolishness of his mistake in attacking the Dark Lady alone. He reached into the hidden holster in his boot and pulled out his gun, the one he had carried in case he was attacked while in Hogsmeade. He had never been able to get it to function inside the Hogwarts grounds. But, in his panic, he completely forgot this as he drew the pistol and fired wildly in Bellatrix's direction.

"Avada Kedavra" Bellatrix shouted directing her wand at the squib and hitting him in the head with her curse.

Just then, one of the giants groaned and fell over with a quarrel sticking out of his chest. Hagrid had known better than to try to use magic on the giants. For them he had a special crossbow, with a crosspiece made of steel so thick that even Hagid needed a winch in order to draw the bow. It shot quarrels with enough force to pierce even giant's hide. After shooting, he had ducked down so that they couldn't see him. Bellatrix sent a contingent in Hagrid's direction while the main body of her army surged towards the school.

When the cannibals got halfway to the castle, the school's teachers began raining hexes down upon them from the astronomy tower. At the same time, a large contingent of Death Eaters showed up at the front gate and began flinging killing curses at the cannibals.
The Cannibal Army split in half. The back half, led by a Muggle serial killer who had already indulged in cannibalism before "The Change," charged back at the Death Eaters. The front half, led by Bellatrix, continued towards the front door of the castle.

"Listen up students" began Professor Van Helsing. Although she was the first witch in her family, members of her family had been hunting dark creatures for more than a century. "I want you all to have your wands pointed at the door. As soon as the door comes down, I want each of you to cast a stunner at any target you can see. If you can't see anything, just aim in the direction of the door. There were students lining both halls as well as in the great hall looking out at the front door. Some were kneeling so that others could aim over their heads.

BOOM!

There was a crash against the door.

BOOM!

BOOM! The door splintered open!

"STUPEFY!"

There was a blinding flash of red as one hundred and twenty people simultaneously cast stunning spells out the doorway! When the light faded, Bellatrix and any of her cannibal soldiers that were near the doorway lay on the ground. But the last remaining giant had been unaffected by the spell. With a roar, he stepped into the front hall of the castle. Suddenly, he lurched forward and slammed into the opposite wall. Pinning him to the wall was an arrow the size of a telephone pole that had passed through his back, out the front of his chest and pinned him to the wall. Hermione looked out the doorway and saw Grawp trying to wind up the winch on an enormous crossbow that Hagrid had made for him.

Hermione and Ron rushed forward to check on Bellatrix's condition. Hermione cast a few of the analytical spells she had developed over the past year.

"Looks like she's dead," observed Hermione. "I guess she took to many stunners."

"Had she made any horcruxes?" Asked Ron.

"Just one - Oh my god!" exclaimed Hermione. "She turned her unborn baby into a horcrux!"

"Guess that's one way to achieve immortality," mused Ron.

"Well the baby died from the stunners too," replied Hermione. "Looks like she's gone for good."

When Dudley saw everyone in front of him fall down in a flash of red light, he skidded to a halt. He glanced behind him. There were fewer green lights but the ranks of the army were decimated. And those freaks on the tower were still throwing spells at them. He led those who were with him into a near by forest. No one tried to stop them. Aragog's children ate well that night.