A/N: Beware of a few changes to the Ministry as the original iteration makes little to no sense to me.
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Creatures, Monsters and Furry Friends
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Sirius's leg twitched with nervousness, even as he sat on the edge of the slightly battered Fountain of Magical Brethren. With the upper floors and Portkey Terminal cleared, there was the much more arduous task of finding out what was happening in the rest of the Ministry. There had been no one but masses of dead at the Terminal, leaving it - now - perhaps the safest place in the Ministry currently. One saving grace was that the workers had closed the Terminal before being caught in the crossfire, otherwise foreigners would still be arriving on scene as they spoke. Or worse yet, enemy reinforcements.
Around them, lay evidence of the initial assault in the bodies of those unfortunate enough to get caught in the open. One bore the signs of a Entrail-Expelling curse, the gruesome spell leaving the man's innards hanging halfway out of his mouth. He'd rather turn his wand upon himself than experience that method of demise. The smell was bad enough.
It had been disappointing to find out their little stair-trick would not work again. The elevators actually replaced the old stairs to the lower levels of the Ministry, the stairs being used mainly during construction. The lower levels were in fact constructed AFTER those above, and designed around the elevators used today. This building had been around longer than he had initially realised.
He never expected to learn about any of this today, nor did he expect Amelia to know so much about the History of the MInistry of Magic. In the end, he pegged it down to something some Department Heads passed down to those who took over their positions. Or a certain dedication to the job.
"Anything to add?" Amelia asked the pair, hands on hips, one of which still held her wand.
The both shook their heads, the plan they had, was the one of two that were even possible. They planned to take advantage of the attacking force's lack of uniform and would disguise themselves as their comrades. It wouldn't hold for long, but it would buy them enough time to actually exit the lifts without being cut down en masse.
She nodded and led them to the elevator closest to the wall, they entered mutely and each directed their wands upon each other. He felt his own beard grow, thanks to Remus. Remus's robes turned darker, thanks to Amelia. The Minister's hair morphed into a dark undercut and her blouse darkened, turning to a mute grey, thanks to him.
The silence was broken only by the overly sensual announcement of the level they'd reached. "Level One, Wizengamot Administration, Taxation, Family Law and Licences Division."
The doors opened to reveal a lone wizard in dark robes, said robes were burnt on the left side. For a moment, both sides stared at each other rather ridiculously, waiting for the other to make a move. A slight twitch of his wand broke the standoff and multiple stunners and a retraction charm overwhelmed him in moments.
He pocketed the man's wand and they pressed on, bodies lay everywhere and the air was thick with the metallic taste of blood. The long rich purple rug that ran the length of the hall - a staple in the Ministry - was stained with blood here and there. They cleared each room as they'd done upstairs, carefully and one at a time. By this time they could perform this action silently, the repetition serving them well. He wondered what this was like for Remus, his friend not having spent any time with the Aurors at all. It was easy for him to slip into the training that felt as if it was a part of his very bones, even after all this time.
After rounding a corner and moving into the Family Law Offices, they heard spellfire. Amelia looked torn for a moment before gesturing they move towards it, which they did without question. He knew her training dictated they clear each office and make sure they weren't about to cop a spell in the back. She would not go against it lightly, at least he agreed with her, the situation called for a little more risk taking than usual.
As they moved towards the area of the office that held Records they caught sight of five of the same dark robed ones casting at a solid wall. She signalled them to stop and they did, but suddenly Remus's eyes went wide and two of the figures by the wall also paused and turned in their direction. Sirius saw the look of recognition in his friends eyes and stepped out immediately, firing whatever came to mind into the group.
There were Werewolves in the Attacking force as well.
While it was not the full moon and thus, were not in danger from becoming one. All of those infected with Lycanthropy, as evidenced by his friend, were not just simple Wizards. Over time, their bodies adapted to each transformation and became… hardier, their reflexes and senses improved. It was presumably the reason Greyback loved infecting children, as they became the strongest of Lycans.
It didn't bode well, Remus wouldn't hesitate to attack the vile wizard who infected him as a child. He worried for his safety if he simply attacked Greyback and ignored everything else.
At least he would have if two Lycans weren't sprinting towards them faster than any normal wizard. They easily evaded the spells sent at them as they came. That was, until he sent a small loveseat that dotted the hallways outside of offices at the pair. Both hurdled the flying furniture but a Blasting curse sent from Amelia blew half the one on the left's torso apart. The other deflected Remus's spell mid-air and kept coming.
"Get the others." Remus growled, surprising him.
Even as he tried to argue, Remus pocketed his wand and leapt at the Lycan charging at Amelia. He'd have stood uselessly in shock if he'd been anywhere else. His friend was as gentle a man as one could find, avoiding confrontation wherever possible. The ease at which he'd pocketed his wand surprised him, just what had he had to do to integrate himself into those wolfpacks in the previous war?
Both he and Amelia skirted the snarling and clawing lycans and attacked the rest grouped at the wall. He and Amelia traded spells with the three of them for a short while before she sent him a look. "Keep their shields up!"
He almost grinned, he knew what she was going to do, and it was brilliant every time she did. While he'd been assigned to Amelia, who was merely a Senior Auror at the time. James had been assigned to Frank Longbottom's father before going into hiding. Neither had finished their training but had learnt a thing or two from their respective mentors.
He sent a stream of low powered curses continuously at the group while could only shield while they waited for him to tire. What they didn't expect however was a jet of water from Amelia, being magical in essence, the shield deflected the water around them. Usually nothing to worry about, until she froze the water with a powerful 'Glacius'. The water froze solid, curved around the shield, and their opponents.
Those on the other side were blinded and couldn't stop the pair's next spells which pierced the thin ice and only sickening grunts and wet slaps were heard from the other side.
The silence was now only interrupted by growls and thuds of Remus and his opponent behind them. He turned around just in time to see Remus fling the other Lycan bodily into the marble wall, leaving a spiderwork of cracks that spread from the point of impact. The sound of it made him grimace, but didn't stop him from stunning the Lycan and binding him in ropes.
Remus stopped in his tracks jerkily before shooting him a half-hearted grin,searching for, and pocketing the lycans wand.
Before any of them could say anything, a elderly voice called through the magically erected wall. "I certainly hope you're here to free us and tell me what in the Merlin is going on here!?"
Amelia's eyebrow raise probably matched his own, he knew THAT voice. "Augusta? What are you doing here?"
The wall melted away into the floor to reveal an irritable looking elder woman in traditional dress. Behind her was a couple of office workers, one Magical Maintenance employee, and one member of the MLEP - judging by their uniforms at least. "Wasting my time, why this department can't just work with Gringotts astounds me. They're much more efficient, even if they are… Goblins."
The office workers behind her rolled their eyes and he nearly snorted at the sight. Augusta inspected the three of them for a moment. "Minister, Sirius," She inspected his friend a while longer. "Remus Lupin? What in Merlin is going on here?"
"We appear to be under attack by Voldemort's forces." Amelia stated bluntly. "We-" She gestured to himself and Remus. "Are clearing the building and finding out if there is still a Ministry to save."
Augusta shrunk her hat and stowed it in an inside pocket. "I'll help you." She then shot a look behind her. "You too Stebbins!"
"Alright, alright! Blasted woman!" The MLE Officer, Stebbins, shot back just as irritably.
Amelia peered towards the Magical Maintenance worker. "Your name?"
The man bowed his balding head. "Reg Cattermole, uh-Minister."
Amelia took a small chain etched with tiny runes out of her pocket and waved her wand over it, the chain flashed blue twice before she flung it to Reg. "There's wounded upstairs on Admin one, take them to the Portkey Terminal where that-" She pointed at the chain. "-will get you to Saint Mungos and back as many times as needed."
Reg nodded somewhat shakily.
"You both help where possible." Amelia said to the two nameless office workers who nodded back simply. "Alright, let's go." With that, they all moved towards the elevators and called two of them, one to up, the other down. Just before they parted however, Amelia looked to remember something. "Cattermole? Stop the lifts from going higher than the Atrium for me if you could."
Reg nodded again numbly, looking as nervous as a man could before the lift doors closed.
A further sweep of the floor only revealed many more dead, but there were many of those that had hid or locked their offices with something more complex than a simple door sealing spell. None had fought for the floor, apart from the guards, and they had been quickly overwhelmed.
Stebbins and Augusta snapped at each other whenever possible, though both knew the layout of the floor surprisingly well. In fact, their terse words were some of the only conversations they had as they moved. If the situation wasn't so dire, he would have wondered at their relationship, not many would dare speak to Augusta that way without receiving more of an earful in reply.
Those they found unharmed were sent to follow Reg upstairs, twenty or so in total by the time they'd fully swept the floor. All were shell-shocked, moving like sheep, and it made his blood boil. The only floors with any security in the Ministry were the Atrium, DMLE, DMT and the Department of Mysteries. Attacking the rest amounted to attacking innocents, a deplorable act under any pretence.
When they made it back to the lifts, Amelia swept an eye over their odd group as she pressed the call button. "Stunners, then Shields, then Lethal spells." Augusta huffed mutely but nodded, if he knew Frank's mother - and he did - He knew she would be out for blood, no matter what anyone told her.
He merely nodded distantly, Augusta may have not liked the order, but there was a very real chance they could attack friendlies upon reflex on the next floor. His stomach turned at the thought of killing an ally by accident, he'd seen it happen in the first blood war and he would not repeat the same mistake. The witch in question hadn't coped well with it, dying not long after to enemy hands, intentionally.
The lift arrived with a ding that sounded ridiculously mundane, and they piled into it silently. His mind left to wander during their moment of respite. He pondered - oddly enough - of the layout of the Ministry. It was odd that they had to descend multiple levels to reach the one that dealt with the magical nation's security.
It seemed that bureaucracy would always find a way, and administration, family matters and law trumped those that kept people safe. He supposed he should be grateful that the Portkey Terminal was in the Atrium, at least one thing that made logistical sense.
As the lift slowed to a stop, he refocused upon his task once more, glancing once more at Remus whose eyes were locked on something past the doors. It didn't bode well.
The overly sensual voice called once more: "Level Two; Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Auror Office and Hitwizard Division. Any visitor must check-in at Reception before proceeding further, thank you for your cooperation."
The grip upon his wand tightened.
…
There was no initial effect from the Transfiguration Professor's spell. In the quiet of the courtyard though, he could hear it. Distant thuds and clangs echoed throughout the Castle as if someone had dropped armful's of cutlery and bricks at hundreds of different points.
Slowly, however, it soon became evident what her spell enacted. Every suit of armour, gargoyle and everything in between marched into the courtyard, arriving in staggered order as each had a different distance to travel. Each of them formed a line before the Deputy Headmistress, with the rest forming up in perfect ranks and rows.
A quick glance towards Hermione told him she would be dissecting the magic behind such a display for days afterwards. She chewed on her lip as she studied each professor - who was now busy casting something for the defence of the school.
A notable absence was Snape, who sat on the steps to the entrance hall and simply rested from his exertion, head bowed, much to his disgust. He watched Professor Sprout lead a group of students away in the direction of the Greenhouses, Neville among them. In that instant he made a decision. He leant into her, voice low. "Mione, go with McGonagall for a bit, I'll grab our cloaks."
She nodded absently and moved over without a word. It was obvious her mind was going a million miles an hour, and she would do her part.
He watched her go for a moment before he jogged over to the group with Sprout. "Nev!" The boy in question turned and halted, a questioning look upon his face. He wasn't even fully sure of his reasons for what he wanted to do, all he knew was that he couldn't risk Hermione for it. He may have not been close with Neville before this year, but he'd quickly become just that. Maybe he'd just never fully realised their similarities until now, or just put everything together.
Both of their lives had been irrevocably altered by the Prophecy, and by Voldemort. The last orphans of the war. Both of them would have to build their lives back up in a way that would try to emulate their dreams. Both of them understood each other in a way others couldn't, Neville would do his utmost to end the being that tore their lives apart. He was sure of it.
"What's up Harry?"
"I've got a job for you, in the event that I can't." He said, forcing confidence into his voice.
Neville obviously sensed it because his eyes narrowed at him. "And you wouldn't because…?"
"If Voldemort makes a beeline for me I might be a little busy." He said, sarcasm dripping from his lips. Nevertheless, a part of him was screaming to run away, but another part of him had already realised that he couldn't live like that. His past had to be dealt with before he could move forward.
"What's this about then?" Neville asked as Harry led them into the Castle and towards the Headmaster's office.
He said nothing in reply, instead incanting: "Accio!"
They walked on in silence for a while before both his and Hermione's Battlecloaks whizzed towards them. He caught one of them and stumbled, forgetting they were heavier than the usual cloaks. Neville stuck out a hand and caught the other one, saving him the indignity of being flattened by flying outerwear.
"Put it on Nev."
Neville didn't put it on, simply inspecting it, and him. "Why? Wait, are these those fancy cloaks you both got for Christmas?" He nodded, and kept walking as Neville figured things out. "Why?" He asked eventually.
"Because he'll order them to capture me unharmed so he can't finish me off himself, like before. You and Hermione will need them more than I will."
They ascended the next set of stairs in silence, he knew Neville would understand and simply waited for him to come to terms with it before asking one more favour of him. They'd almost reached the floor that held the entrance to the Headmaster's office when Neville spoke again. "Alright, but what are we doing here?"
"There's only one Horcrux left." He said simply. "She's called Nagini and she's a dirty great snake, she needs to die."
"And?"
"Almost all spells won't do the job, if you tried Fiendfrye you'd probably set fire to the whole castle, me too come to think." He avoided mentioning the Killing Curse, only Hermione and few others would ever know about that.
Neville snorted. "Probably."
"Exactly, that leaves one method, one we've been using all year." By now they'd reached the twin Gargoyles that guarded the office. Or they would have if they hadn't been summoned to the courtyard earlier. Instead, they found merely a gap in the wall that showed the stairs behind it. No password was needed as they climbed the circular staircase in silence, he led them through the next door and into the office beyond.
Neville looked around curiously and suddenly it struck him just how few students had been in the office before. Instead of watching his friend gaze around, he made a beeline for the Sorting Hat, ignoring the blustering portraits that both questioned his presence and demanded he leave.
As if sensing his purpose, the Hat twitched, becoming animated once more, scrunching itself into an expression of exasperation and confusion. "Come to ask another inane question Potter?"
He smirked. "Not this time, I'm sure the Slytherin House of your day was far better than the one that exists nowadays, I'll stick with Gryffindor."
"HA!" The hat cackled loudly. "A truthful observation, from what I've seen. Now lad, what do you want with this old hat?"
Harry grinned, enjoying this interaction far more than he had in first or second year. "I'd like to borrow that sword you hold."
"Again eh? Whatever for?"
"To slay another ruddy great Snake." Chimed in Neville, unused to the Hat's banter.
"Ah!" The sorting hat twisted in Neville's direction. "Longbottom eh, you going to use it lad?"
"Yep, it's my turn, Harry will be otherwise occupied." Neville snarked sarcastically.
The Hat snorted. "You've done it Godric, gone and found the two most foolhardy of foolhardy students one could ever find. Hmph! Have the damned thing." With that, the gleaming silver sword dropped from the depths of the cantankerous hat, thudding loudly upon each shelf on its journey to the floor where it hit with a cacophony of clanging and scraping of metal upon stone.
It was all rather devoid of flash and class in a way that was humorous from a certain point of view. The Portraits murmured between themselves at the sight.
He picked it up carefully and handed it to Nevile. "Ever held a sword before?"
Neville snorted but reserved a look of awe for the Sword of legend. "I haven't held anything metal bigger than the pair of sheers I use to trim the tickling bush Uncle Algie got me for my eighth birthday."
Harry slapped his friend on the back. "You'll be right." He then transfigured one of Neville's belt loops into a simple scabbard with a few flicks of his wand and a moment of concentration.
Neville slid the Sword of Gryffindor carefully in the scabbard and put the Battlecloak on covering it. He looked every inch of a man dressed for battle, he looked even taller now, a far cry from the pudgy, nervous boy he'd first met years ago on the way to Hogwarts.
Having no further business, they took their leave and the Hat said it's own goodbye: "Don't lose the bloody thing!"
They passed a pair of McGonagall's animations on the way back down to the courtyard. The suit of armour clanked and squeaked while the Gargoyle stomped solidly, its stone feet thumping solidly, yet also grinding against the floor. Both looked to be heading towards Gryffindor Tower, presumably to guard the entrance just in case. "Nev."
"Hmm?"
"Don't let anyone know you have it until you're absolutely sure you need it. Nagini, well, will be difficult to sneak up on."
Neville seemed to ponder that as he directed them through a hidden shortcut. "I'm sure i'll get a chance."
"Good… We can't win with it alive."
Something flickered in Neville's brown eyes, something like pride. Something he'd ask about another day. "No pressure then, right?"
Both of them snorted in laughter and something intangible passed between them, something neither of them would forget for the rest of their days.
They reached the courtyard to find an improbable sight: Hagrid - who he hadn't seen at all today until now - leading what could only be described as a herd - twenty strong - of Centaurs from around the side of the Castle that the forest lay. Their bows were slung over a shoulder, and full quivers of arrows hung from the other.
He glanced around for Hermione and found her in discussion with Professor Babbling, both were crouched by the low wall that separated the shaded walkway from the open courtyard. Making note to rejoin her in a bit, he moved over to Hagrid and the Centaurs, who by now had found Dumbledore.
"Thank you for lending a hand Leelyn." Said Dumbledore, inclining his head towards the largest and most fearsome looking Centaur.
Leelyn inclined his head in reply but waved him away. "Think nothing of it, it was foretold. Our aid will be leant in defence of Hogwarts."
A roar was suddenly heard in the distance, everyone stopped for a moment and gazed towards the hills, unsure of exactly which direction the sound came from.
"It seems we have little time." Dumbledore continued calmly, a knowing look in his eye. "You are free to take positions where best effective."
Leelyn didn't blink. "We shall overlook the forest." He sent an acidic look towards Firenze who had edged closer throughout the conversation. "The traitor can remain here."
Dumbledore inclined his head once more and they took off, a mass of clopping hooves as they made their way back the way they came. He stepped forward. "Albus? What's the plan?" Beside him, Hagrid blinked in surprise.
"There are only two entrances into the Castle itself, so we will split our…" The Headmaster grimaced very slightly. "forces between them. With current events as they are, I'm more worried about any creatures that Tom will use to wear us down before attacking with whatever wands he's brought."
"Chokepoints?" He asked.
"I believe Pomona is seeing to that, as is Bathsheda and Miss Granger by the looks of it." Dumbledore replied.
He nodded, then fell silent, thinking hard. "Lookouts?"
The old man pondered this for a moment, scratching his beard absently. "You have Defence club members in both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw correct?"
He nodded.
"If they are capable of Patronus messaging, then the Towers where they are situated are ideal."
"We haven't covered that." He replied sheepishly, though he really shouldn't have been. It was surprising to many that even fifth-years in the club could even produce a Patronus, using them for messages was even more difficult.
"Then we have a problem." Dumbledore replied evenly, almost as if he was in a classroom, rather than organising the defence of a school from dark creatures and wizards alike.
With a glance towards both towers, it clicked. "Brooms!" He said suddenly. "With the Centaurs helping, we could surely spare a few of us to keep watch from above?"
"Ingenious…" Said the old man, he didn't smile though. "I'll let you see to that Harry." Without any further words, Dumbledore moved towards McGonagall, leaving him to find his girlfriend.
He found her deep in concentration, towards the stairs that led down to the dock that housed the tiny fleet of tiny boats when they weren't being used to ferry first years across the lake. Her wand was pointed at the stone that bordered the top of the stairs, upon it, runes etched themselves from top to bottom. He watched rapt as she then closed her eyes and pressed a palm to her etchings and the faintest of blue pulses of light shoen from beneath it. As she pulled away, the runes pulsed with the same light before slowly disappearing from view.
The smile she directed at him was laden with tension. "Yes?"
He held out her Battlecloak, which she took with a muted thanks and put it on. "What're you doing?"
She shrugged. "Just simple alert wards, we've been putting them all over so no one sneaks into the Castle without us knowing."
He sighed. "I knew I should've taken Ancient Runes instead of Divination."
She rolled her eyes. "It's only taken you four years to realise that."
He spread his arms, the picture of innocence. "It takes me a while to realise things you know." He tilted his head and sent a look at her full of implication.
She blushed. "Well spotted."
He smirked in response but it fell quickly. "So I have a favour to ask…" He trailed off as her eyes narrowed at him, as if she knew she wouldn't like whatever he asked of her. "Would you come fly with me? I mean, we need lookouts so I volunteered and-"
"You know how I feel about flying." She said flatly.
"But that was on Buckbeak!" He countered, although all he could think of was her screams as Sirius pushed the Hippogriff into a dive. He'd been too exhilarated at their success to take much notice of how she held onto him for dear life. "Brooms are way safer!"
She waved a finger in his direction. "Not the way you fly, mister."
He waved his hands almost desperately. There was no way he would go up without her, and not know what she was doing or how she was. They didn't train together so often just to split up when it was actually needed! He was also being a bit clingy, if he was honest with himself. "I promise! Nothing crazy! We're just watching and informing Dumbledore or whoever what's going on."
She was silent for a moment then huffed. "Well someone has to watch your back."
He broke into a relieved smile. "Thanks. Now we just need a couple more to join us."
They'd barely moved a few feet when she sent him a questioning look. "Where's your cloak Harry?"
"Neville's got it." He replied simply.
He felt her gaze upon him as they walked, her prodigious mind forestalling the argument before it began. "You sure? What about stray spells?"
He snorted mirthlessly. "His followers are far too scared of him to dare, I'll just have to trust that."
A glance her way told him she was unhappy with it, but also understood the truth of the matter. She simply nodded and they kept moving.
They walked briskly back into the castle to where the rest of the defenders were congregated in the Entrance Hall only to find Madame Hooch already there, brandishing an armful of the school brooms. He didn't even know why he was surprised, it was only natural that the school's flying teacher and head of all things Quidditch would have thought of the same thing.
Her yellow hawk eyes spotted him quickly. "Ah, Potter, there you are. I take it you're joining us?"
He nodded before flicking his wand. "Accio."
Hooch turned back to the group and handed out a broom to Katie Bell, who stood oddly close to Seamus Finnegan. As she shouldered the remaining one it hit him that Katie and Seamus would be riding tandem like he and Hermione. The only problem was that he hadn't seen either of them cast a corporeal Patronus, let alone a messenger version.
Perhaps they were the only ones that volunteered? Or… He thought wryly. Maybe any wave of Seamus's wand would cause an explosion loud enough to be a warning anyway.
His Firebolt arrived with a woosh, interrupting his thoughts. He palmed it absently as Hooch sent those who weren't flying back to McGonagall. Hermione eyed the broom warily, she'd been there when he first flew the thing back then - shooting into the cloud like a bullet and barely under control.
Hooch then led them into the courtyard as McGonagall regained the attention of the rest of the group. Only Dumbledore remained in the courtyard, his wand circling above his head as he muttered strings of spells under his breath. Hooch mounted her broom quickly and took off, Katie mounted and hovered long enough to let Semus climb on before ascending herself.
He followed their movements and hovered for Hermione to get on, she steeled herself for a moment before climbing on behind him. "Wait!" She almost yelled just as he was about to take off. She pulled a Gryffindor scarf from a pocket and quickly tied them together with it. He smirked but it made sense, a sticking charm would interfere with the other enchantments on the broom.
The instant her arms went around him, his stomach swooped and he forced himself to slowly rise from the cobblestones and into the air. Her grip tightened as he accelerated - as slowly as possible. Despite the circumstances, it felt incredible to fly once more, to feel the breeze in his face and to see the earth - and the expectations of everyone else - shrink away. It was just the two of them for a few moments as the wind rushed past his face, howling in his ears.
His eyes watered from the shock of flying without his glasses, something he hadn't thought of until now. He slowed his ascent dramatically, drawing his wand from under his left sleeve. "Oculos obstructinatum ventus." He muttered under his breath, hoping his memory served him well. He'd found the spell after Hermione's intervention in a Quidditch match in his third year, helping him to see through the rain. Pure curiosity had him looking for similar spells in his free time, and it had paid off.
As they reached Hooch, Katie and Seamus's height - just above the very tops of both Gyffindor and Ravenclaw Towers, but below that of the Astronomy Tower - he took in the surroundings with a fresh eye. The lake - a barely shimmering mirror from this altitude - lay to the south of the Castle, curving around it comfortingly before continuing on into the distance. The courtyard lay east and next to the Entrance Hall, connecting to the official entrance for visitors; a stone viaduct/bridge that crossed a deep and jagged chasm, a small amount of water trickled under it from higher up the mountain to deposit into the lake.
West of the Entrance Hall were the wide expanse of lawns that led down to Hagrid's Hut and the Greenhouses. Beyond them lay the Forbidden Forest which extended around the Lake to the south, further west and also curled north and into the mountain above the School. North east of the Castle, and in a valley only slightly higher than the lake, lay the Quidditch Pitch in one of the few open patches of land apart from the Castle itself.
He grinned fondly at the sight of the pitch, all the times he'd crossed that viaduct and down the hill towards it with teammates and friends would be some of his happiest, carefree memories. Another glance towards the forest revealed the wooden bridge that served as a shortcut to Hagrid's hut and the Owlery, bypassing the Greenhouses entirely. The tiny dots that signified their animated army had spread themselves over every entrance to the Castle; twenty of them remained in their ranks in the middle of the courtyard.
"Potter!" He blinked and looked towards the sound and found yellow eyes gazing in his direction. "Spread out, over to the forest!"
He signed his understanding and drifted over slowly. At this point, he was happy to let others take charge. It wasn't like he'd trained for this, teaching spells was far different to what amounted to generalship. He wasn't sure if his nerves would have held if everyone suddenly looked to him to tell them what to do. Only the knowledge that Voldemort would make his appearance eventually kept him resigned to his fate - even if the bastard didn't know the Diadem was already destroyed. When he found out, his fury would be sent in one direction, his - and anyone else that got in the way.
No one would, only Dumbledore would be allowed to stand beside him when Voldemort's attention was inevitably drawn to him. Only he and the old man knew truly what they would be up against, just how fast he moved, how ruthless he could be, and how utterly powerful he was. How his mood flipped like a switch with barely any prodding and how cruel he could be.
Only two things would allow him to raise his own wand against such a titan, his entire being that screamed to avenge his parents, and to protect the innocents caught in their crossfire. He would not let anyone suffer what he had, not if he could help it.
"You're drifting a bit far, mister." Hermione's nervous voice brought him back to the present, as did the tap on the chest.
He leant back and twisted to see her. "Sorry, how're you holding up?"
"I'm holding on fine." She replied, voice wavering so badly that he began to feel even worse about dragging her along.
Suddenly, Hooch dived towards the Entrance Hall out of the corner of his eye, he watched he descend for a moment before he gazed over to where her station was. From their height, they could see slightly over the hill the trail to Hogsmeade winded through. His eyes swept the crest for a while before he saw something out of place, something huge and skin coloured amongst the green.
Then a second one began to reveal itself.
Then a third.
As the fourth popped up he could see the first better and he recognised what he saw, and his stomach turned to ice. Giants.
Hagrid, last year, had made it sound as if there was only one community of Giants in Britain. As he caught sight of an eighth one he came to the conclusion that he hadn't asked. That information seemed pertinent right about now, as he began to hear their heavy footfalls, even from their great distance and the wind rushing in his ears.
Movement in the courtyard drew his eye, Hooch streaked across the bridge with a tiny shape behind her that could only be Professor Flitwick. He watched dumbly as Flitwick dismounted, floating towards the ground as Hooch dropped him off streaking back up to retake her previous position.
He slowly drifted over in the direction he was staring at without noticing.
By now, he could see twenty Giants lumbering towards the Viaduct now, and Flitwick stood there in their path gesturing wildly at the ground. The lead Giant - who he could see wore basic clothing made out of animal furs - threw a rock the size of the professor himself at Flitwick, it missed but his heart leapt into his throat at the sight.
The Giants were nearly upon the professor before he stopped whatever he was doing, turned and leapt back towards the castle. He would have been confused had the diminutive professor not twirled his wand at the ground beneath him, causing him to suddenly FLY in a great arc. He somehow, incredibly, had leapt the entire distance of the viaduct before landing with a stumble in the courtyard.
Charms Master for sure.
As Hooch reached them, he watched as whatever the Charms professor did began to affect the Giants charge. Great roots ripped themselves from the ground and ensnared the legs of the attackers and did their utmost to bring them to the ground. He shivered slightly at the sight, remembering very well how they had wrapped themselves around Fluer Delacour and taken her into the undergrowth.
The lead Giant stumbled and fell to the roots, forcing the one behind to stop and move around him.
Suddenly, a large blur shot from the direction of the Castle. An arrow the size of a family sedan streaked through the air, impaling itself deep in the downed Giant which roared in pain that he heard just as clearly. His comrades roared in response and began to charge towards the viaduct, shaking the earth as they went.
As they neared the bridge, the animated army sprung into action, forming into long ranks and began to march to meet them. Stone, thumped, metal clanked with perfect timing. Despite being merely animated statues, he couldn't help but be moved by the sight as both armies moved towards each other with unshakable conviction. Another huge arrow sailed over them to impact the new lead Giant squarely in the hip which roared and staggered, throwing its club - the size of a car - at those before it. It impacted a pair of gargoyles which crumbled with the impact. The others marched on inexorably, over the fallen, towards the Giants.
The sudden rippling of trees drew his eye away and over to the forest.
The darkness between the treetops seemed to shimmer, an odd sight, a trick of the light perhaps?
He half turned his head towards his partner. "Mione? Am I seeing things or is something happening in the forest?"
"Where?" Her voice raised in the wind whistling around the Castle.
"There!" He pointed towards the forest near Hagrid's Cabin at a point further in.
"I can't see anything."
He spared a moment to curse internally, his omnioculars from the World Cup would have been handy right now. They continued to hover in place as he tried to put his snitch-seeking skills to good use. It was fruitless however and his mind wandered, despite the grunts he could hear from the Giants' charge.
"Is this the longest you've ever been on a broom?" He asked, still staring towards the forest.
He realised his question was unexpected, and he could practically see her blink in surprise. Lord knows he'd seen it often, enjoying throwing questions at her that would derail her train of thought. Something he'd seen Luna do more than once. "I believe so."
"To think that all of this had to happen, to finally get you to fly with me."
Her eyes were narrowed at him, he knew that moment of silence intimately. "I'm not exactly enjoying being so high you know."
"Ah, I knew there was a reason I fell-SHIT!" Whatever he'd been seeing in the trees chose that moment to reveal itself in the horde of Acromantula that flooded from them. His eyes widened at the endless stream, apparently those little spiders he and Ron had tried their best to avoid stepping on in second year had forgotten all about that little mercy. The sheer sound of their many, many steps and clicking mandibles set his teeth on edge. "Mione!"
She was already ahead of him - of course - and he felt her Patronus before it streaked away.
He was about to tell the Centaurs to attack via Sonorus Charm but they too beat him to the punch. Arrows were already soaring in a great arc towards the back mass. He didn't know how they knew so quickly, all he could think of was that Professor Babbling had been busier than he thought.
He glanced towards Hooch, Katie and Seamus to find that the latter pair were already diving towards the spiders. Seamus in fact, whooping in delight as they plummeted. While he watched - frantically thinking of something that would stop them - Katie flew across the mass, somehow timing their run between the second and third volley of arrows as fire seemingly dripped from behind them. The Acromantula that had been killed by the first volley from the Centaurs were set alight, slowing those behind as they reared back to avoid the flames.
Those that paused were then hit by the second volley of arrows, creating further chaos. He didn't have much time to celebrate though as he saw that the wave coming from the forest hadn't abated in the slightest. Those that weren't stopped by arrows simply scurried around the blockage.
"Harry!" Her yell broke him from trance and he dived without thinking towards the Acromantula. When they got close, both sent a flurry of blasting curses into the centre of the massed attack. Bits of larger than normal spiders were sent far and wide from their spells. But the sheer number of Acromantula was overwhelming.
With the creatures starting to spread out, the Centaurs arrows began to have less of an effect. The land leading to this side of the Castle was broken up with large rocks and jagged cliffs, hence the wooden bridge that crossed it, but it wouldn't stop huge spiders. In addition, there was little in the way of defences on this side to boot, being the historically safe side of the Castle.
He changed course, dodging under a rain of further arrows as he did. Gryffindor Tower was on this side of the Castle, practically undefended, everything he'd seen of spiders in the past told him they would climb the stone easily. Hermione screamed with his violent course change.
I'll apologise afterwards. Profusely.
He ascended towards the level where the first-year dorms were before they attacked with further blasting spells that drew screeches in response. Suddenly spells shot from overhead, drawing his attention for a moment to see something incredible and undeniably Gryffindor.
Many of the windows were open on all levels, and fellow students rained down spells upon the creatures in a multicoloured hail. Their spells joined the barrage from above, though he had to hug the wall to avoid getting him by friendly fire. After running the gauntlet, he ascended into the air to take stock of their situation.
Only now did he realise just how hard Hermione had been gripping his body, it felt hard enough for her nails to draw blood but now wasn't the time to mention it.
A wave of black, a mass of clicking and many, many heavy steps of monstrous spiders scurried into a wall of multicoloured jets of light. Already the land below Gryffindor Tower was a burnt, pockmarked mess.
He looked down the length of the Castle towards the clock Tower, the Infirmary lay just inside and up many flights of stairs. They simply had to hold there, letting acromantula into that part of the Castle would have consequences that he shuddered to think about. Whoever had come up with this attack strategy certainly knew creatures, if it had been reversed, the Giants wouldn't have been able to cross the broken gully, and the Spiders would have been culled trying to cross the wide expanse of the bridge.
He hoped that those on that side of the castle would hold against the mass of Giants. He cleared his mind of that horrible thought via wheeling around like he would on the Quidditch Pitch.
She's getting the biggest apology of her life after this.
As they drew closer to the Clock Tower, what they saw chilled him to the bone.
The courtyard separating the wooden bridge and the tower had become a battleground. The first thing that drew his eye with Professor Babbling in the entrance to the Tower. Runes glowed blue in a circle around her that flared which each spider that touched it and recoiled away as if burnt. From the middle of the Rune Cluster she struck out with slow and methodical wandwork.
In the middle of the yard were the Centaurs - those that remained - as they swung their bows about with grace, blades on the tips of their bows extending their reach. Snape and Slughorn were on top of the covered walkways that ringed the yard, striking and smiting all within reach. He spied more than one Acromantula that easily climbed the stone, avoiding the impediment of the Runes Professor blocking the huge doorway. They crawled in through openings, holes blown in the glass of the enormous grandfather-esqe clock that gave the Towers its name.
He sped towards a jagged hole in the giant clock face between one and three, it would be a tight fit. In the seconds it took to reach the glass, the smaller the gap looked. He was about to turn away before an arm and wand appeared over his shoulder, circling clockwise. The hole widened, glass melting away in a perfect circle giving them room to fit. They zoomed through, ducking under the second hand that nearly decapitated them.
The door to the Infirmary was open and multiple shield charms held back three Acromantula that screeched and swore loudly at the defenders. He manoeuvred the broom so they slowed turning to the left and sliding to the right, giving the both of them room to wave their wands. The huge spiders turned instantly at their presence, scuttling around to face them.
They acted silently born from their long friendship and hours of waving a wand with - and at - each other. A wide wave of Hermione's Vine wand glued the Acromantulas legs to the floor, as they struggled, screaming threats at her. He focussed upon a spell he'd mastered in that very Infirmary, almost a whole year previously.
Thin cones of ice formed slowly at the twist of his wrist at a point somewhere above them. Like icicles hanging from an overhanging roof, they hovered for a moment as his concentration formed twenty or so in total. For some reason, his left hand left the broom and together with his wand he threw them both to the floor.
The icey spears dropped unnaturally fast from their spot near the ceiling, punching straight through tough, hairy hides with gruesome thuds, most peeking through the underside of the beasts. All fell with a crash, dead before they hit the floor.
"Potter, you have rather good timing."
Wordlessly, he and Hermione dismounted and he glanced toward the speaker; a dark brown haired Slytherin girl he'd barely interacted with - even during D.A. sessions. "Greengrass. Everything alright here?"
"Now they are." She then glanced behind her at someone he couldn't see. "Madame, you wish for Potter to deliver a message?"
At that Madame Pomfrey bustled into view, wand in hand squinting at them as if they were hiding injuries from her. "Mr Potter, If you could let Minvera know to place some of her animations here to guard the wounded, it would be much appreciated."
His mouth twitched upwards at her professional demeanour, one that had relaxed due to his many instances in her care. "Of course Poppy."
It wasn't long before a silvery stag shot through the floor to deliver its message.
"Do you need help Madame?" Hermione asked, already pulling her hair back and working it into a messy bun. The display was something he could hardly keep his eyes off of, having seen it before, only under very different circumstances.
"No thank you Miss Granger." Pomfrey replied. "I believe your efforts are best served elsewhere." Her pursed lips spoke of just what she thought about a school being under attack.
He stepped closer and took a look inside; Alice Toplin was the Infirmary's solitary occupant currently, her arm in a sling and blood-matted hair. Terry Boot and Daphne Greengrass may have escorted her here but Terry was moving gingerly, his robes had a gash in the shoulder. They couldn't afford many casualties with how small the defending force was, that much was obvious to him.
"We need your help to clear the Castle when help gets here." He spoke to the pair standing next to Pomfrey. Daphne merely gave him a look that said 'just what do you think I've been doing?' Terry simply nodded.
All they could do now was wait for whatever animated help McGonagall had sent them before wading into battle once again.
…