Chapter 26: The Second Altercation

Ron's seventeenth birthday came and passed with much frivolity and celebration in the Gryffindor Common Room. Although there were no embellished drawings to hang around there were certainly many jokes running rampant from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Things had been going well, all things considered. Harry and Ginny were getting quite frequent times to be alone together (in the boys' dormitory and otherwise), Ron and Hermione were keeping their bickering to a minimum (something Harry and Ginny attributed to the couple's frustrations with one another being taken out in deep snogging sessions) and the separate squads for the emergency evacuation committee were training harder than ever.

As it would, Murphy's Law seemed to be screaming to prove its existence and power. It had its chance on the rainy afternoon of March 25th. Harry was waiting his turn in the corridor for a surprise practical Charms quiz when the alarms began to sound. Glancing to Ron and Hermione they gave each other a nod and headed immediately for their positions; Harry to the Great Hall, and Ron to the Gryffindor portrait hole (password 'emergency evacuation') with Hermione right behind him, sealing all the classrooms. As soon as he was out of their sight, Harry began to run. All the way down the Charms corridor, through three secret passages and in a matter of minutes he was standing at Dumbledore's side.

"I take it this isn't a drill, sir?"

Dumbledore shook his head, but didn't outwardly reply directly to Harry. Speaking directly into his wand he stated the password ('victory for Slytherin') and began to check the school's status.

"This is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, contacting to check all students' locations and evacuation progress. Urquhart and Malfoy, is your entire group accounted for?"

It was Urquhart's harsh rasp that returned reply. "Yes, sir, Daphne Greengrass has just returned from sealing the classrooms with Blaise Zabini. All is in order."

Albus repeated the password, changing to the corresponding house, and proceeded to check the rest of the school while Harry stepped beside Professor Flitwick as he cast a tricky little charm on the front door to the castle, enabling them to see right through it. Taking his Omnioculars from his bag, he passed them to the tiny Professor.

"Ah, yes," he squeaked, "there are about fifty Death Eaters at our front gates." Passing the Omnioculars to Harry, the young man confirmed the Professor's statement.

"They're just sitting there, though. I think Professor Dumbledore should see this."

'Albus,' he called, 'there are approximately fifty Death Eaters at the front gates, and they seem to be waiting for us to make contact with them.'

Albus gazed inquiringly at Harry, then spoke into his wand once more.

"All houses report- are all elementary evacuees safely to their evacuation points?"

"Slytherin affirmed!"

"Roger, Ravenclaw!"

"Hufflepuff all accounted for!"

"Gryffindor's all set, sir!"

"Excellent," replied Dumbledore. "All elite evacuees report to their watch points, please."

He joined Filius and Harry at the front door, but did not ask to view the gates through the Omnioculars. "Quite interesting, isn't it?"

Ron, Ginny and Hermione were of the first to arrive, their knowledge of the castle's many secret hallways nearly as vast as Harry's.

"Dumbledore sent us to our watch points," Ginny told Harry as she strapped her emergency port key to her wrist. "It can't be that serious, then, can it? I mean, if he didn't evacuate us as well?"

"See for yourself, love," Harry answered as he handed her the Omnioculars.

Ginny passed the Omnioculars on to Hermione with nothing more than a pensive 'hmmm.'

"Headmaster!" Hermione called. "They're sending something our way. Should we open the door?"

"No, Miss Granger, thank you," Albus replied as he stepped graciously over. Waving his wand at the door, a small door appeared within it, almost like a cat door, but at the headmaster's eye level.

A memo flew through not long after, fashioned like one of the paper airplane messages that Harry knew to fly around the Ministry. Knowing it would be impolite to read over the headmaster's shoulder, Harry took a step back and waited for him to dictate what everyone should do.

"Lord Voldemort wishes to make negotiations with us, and has delegated his Death Eaters here to do his dirty work."

"What?" cried Ginny, who was surprisingly echoed by many of the Professors behind her.

"Surely he can't be serious, Albus," cried Minerva McGonnagal.

"Oh, yes, he seems to be," replied Albus to her, and then to himself he muttered, "at least, as serious as Lord Voldemort could be when attempting to fool us into thinking he is actually trying to negotiate." Into his wand, though, he said calmly, yet with authority, "Everyone should report to their battle stations, please, everyone report to battle stations."

Ron snorted, "So much for negotiating."

"Ah, well, Mr. Weasley," replied Dumbledore seriously, but his eyes were smiling, "I have never known Lord Voldemort to, ah, "negotiate", as he has so put it. I do not want to be caught unawares."

Dumbledore opened the doors magically, and raised the gate. The staff behind him, including Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny (whom Harry had made it clear he would go nowhere without), they made their way to the front gates. The Death Eaters were holding their wands out in front of them, flat in their open palms, as a gesture of good intent.

"Step nowhere in front of me," Dumbledore warned, while they were still out of earshot. "They are actively trying to disarm the wards on the gates from further up the road. Harry, if you wouldn't mind putting that wonderful shield over us all, I would be glad to assist you in strengthening it."

"Sure thing, sir," Harry replied as he readied himself for the spell. Albus 'assisted' him by making it so that it was never seen to have been cast.

They had reached the gates and the fifty Death Eaters there waited patiently as the assumed leader, who Harry recognized immediately to be Lucius Malfoy, made his way forward.

"On behalf of my most gracious and eminent master, I have come to negotiate a bargain."

Lucius made a half bow, to show courtesy, and Harry couldn't repress a snort. Hermione seemed shocked and worried on his behalf, but Harry simply smiled- Lucius Malfoy frightened him less than a Flobberworm.

"A bargain, then?" repeated Dumbledore, stroking his beard as if in consideration. "And what master would you happen to be representing? I don't remember you from the Egyptian Delegation of Wizards last summer, but, being as old as I am, perhaps you might have slipped my mind?"

Now it was Ron's turn to snort, and even Hermione joined Professor McGonnagal in a thin lipped smile.

"Now see here, Dumbledore!" cried an outraged voice from that back. "You know exactly with whom you are dealing!"

Ginny looked to Harry- this voice was new. She didn't recognize it from any Death Eater they had previously encountered. Harry didn't have time to look back in reply- Dumbledore was speaking to him.

'The gates are coming down, Harry. Warn everyone on your side, and I shall pass the word along to mine.'

Harry inclined his head in the briefest of acknowledgements before he stood on Ginny's foot and moved his chin a fraction of an inch towards the gates, and then to the ground. Ginny understood immediately and began to pass the message along. Lucius Malfoy was speaking again, and Harry couldn't help but get frustrated with his aristocratic drawl.

'Good God, is he still talking? No wonder the Ferret turned out the way he did. I'd go nutters if that were my father, too! "Cessation of hostilities"—honestly, what a load of dung!'

Dumbledore let out a snort of laughter, and Harry grinned. 'I suppose you heard that, Albus?'

Dumbledore grinned while Lucius scowled under his mask. Finally, Harry had had enough. With a flick of his wrist Lucius' mask flipped off of his head and fell to the ground.

"Oh, Lucius!" he simpered. "I can't say it's nice to see you, but," Harry grinned maliciously, "well, I can't say that Azkaban has been good to you, either. But how ARE you? The hollow-eyed look does such wonders for your bone structure."

"Ah! Of course it does, Harry, quite lovely I must say," agreed Albus. "Well, Lucius, now that I can see that face of yours I recall exactly what master you are acting on behalf of. Now, what exactly was it you were—ah, look, some friends of yours seem to be coming along the way! Maybe they'll be able to explain it in terms we can understand."

It seemed Lucius had had enough. He raised his wand and screamed a hex large enough to cover the whole of those on the Hogwarts side of the gate, had they not been protected by Harry's shield. The spell fizzled, crackled and died; leaving a stumped Lucius staring blankly back at Harry and Dumbledore's smiling faces. There was s subtle 'pop', and every Death Eater fell to their knees.

"You shall pay for your disobedience later, Lucius," hissed Voldemort, "but in the meantime… well, I never expected you to succeed any way. Surely, Dumbledore, you know how hard it is to find good help these days—using children on your front line? Not something I would expect from you."

"But you'll know all about how hard it is to defeat children," spat Ginny, "wouldn't you Tom?"

Harry stood straighter. Not a day had passed where Ginny hadn't made him the proudest man on earth that he could call her his life mate.

"Ginevra… Yes, how well I remember the little redheaded trollop…"

"That's Mrs. Potter to you, Tom" Harry spat, raising his wand.

"Not that I ever gave you permission to address me in the first place," chimed Ginny, raising her wand simultaneously with Ron and Hermione.

Voldemort made a mocking half bow. "May I offer my congratulations to you on your recent wedding, then, Mrs. Potter. Let us hope you don't live long enough to regret it."

Voldemort's hand twitched towards his wand, but he let it lay.

"The only person that regrets Harry is YOU, Voldemort," said Dumbledore placidly.

"I regret nothing, Dumbledore, nothing, except this conversation."

Turning to Harry, he smiled, twisted and evilly, and his red eyes seemed to glint with fury.

"You haven't seen the last of me, Potter."

"Nor you of me, Tom."

"Let this be your first and final warning, Harry Potter. The Dark Lord will not rest until you grovel for mercy at his feet, begging for death."

"Pity," Harry snapped. "You're going to be waiting a long time, Tom. I will never do anything at your feet… except for this."

Harry spat directly at Voldemort, and it landed on the hem of his robes. Voldemort seemed displeased, but not nearly as disturbed as Harry would have liked.

"A mistake, Potter. One of many, but one of your last. You cannot defeat me, Harry; I will destroy you and all you care about. Starting with this wretched school."

Voldemort snapped his fingers and at once his team of Death Eaters charged forward as the gates collapsed. All Harry heard was Voldemort's cold, cruel laughter ringing in his ears as the evil wizard disapparated.

Profesor Flitwick quickly rounded off a spell and a huge blue wall of fire rose in front of the Death eaters. Harry silently thanked the Charms Professor for his quick thinking- this would give them time. Harry turned and ran toward the castle doors, Profesor Dumbledore casting simultaneous patroni charms behind him, and watched as they flew to what he could only presume was the Order on Stand By. Shooting a few stunners, hexes and shield charms behind his back for good measure Harry was nearly to the castle when he heard Dumbledore's instructions inside his head.

'I will summon two barricades just inside the initial gates, Harry. Hopefully you and I can keep them from entering the castle. Be ready.'

Just as soon as they were both across the threshold, two huge stone walls rose to a height perfect for each of them to fight behind. Harry threw himself behind his wall, and not a second had passed when the Death Eaters finally realized that the charmed wall of fire cast by Flitwick was extinguished by mere water, and they charged up the hill. Harry could see huge chunks of stone flying out of the wall in front of him as they threw spell after spell at them. Grinning, Harry leaned out and hexed the four nearest the wall.

'Old Flitwick had them on. It was so simple it took them forever to figure out the counter-charm.'

'Yes, Harry, he certainly did. Watch your right side, you've got Lucius and his cronies coming for you.'

'Thanks, Albus. Sometimes it really is just a simple charm to get what you need.'

"Impedimenta!" Harry screamed, and the Death Eater to Lucius' right was knocked backwards into the castle wall. Crouched down, Harry could hear the dozens of shouts of 'reducto' from behind him in attempts to shatter the stone barricade.

"Shit," he thought. "This isn't going as well as I hoped."

"Harry!" screamed Dumbledore. "Fall back! Get inside the castle!"

Turning, Harry nodded at his mentor and ran to the base of the stairs inside the doors to see his wife and two best friends waiting for him, wands at the ready. He stood, directed his wand at the wave of Death Eaters coming at the castle and yelled "Furuculus, Impedimenta, Petrificus Totalus, Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy." Before his brain could react to plan for the next string of hexes he saw a group of Death Eaters fall, tripping some of their comrades behind them. When his brain did catch up with him and saw that those that had only been tripped were standing again, looking rather peeved, Harry looked to his friends and they screamed, "PROTEGO!" saving themselves from what turned out to be several Crucios, and grinned as they rebound on their castors.

Harry scanned the room, ready for the incoming wave, when he saw a spell bounce off the front door and fly right at Proffesor Sinistra, whose head snapped back painfully just before flopping to the floor. Harry thought nothing of Madam Pomfrey as she ran forward to see if there was anything she could do, and continued to scan the entrance hall. Groups of people were standing all around, every one of them in a dueling stance. The Gryffindors just inside the doors to the Great Hall, listening to shouted instructions and warnings from the Ravenclaws at the top of the stairs. The Slytherins guarded the entrance to the dungeons, and the Hufflepuffs had stationed themselves in front of the hallway that led to the kitchens and staff homes. Each group had their own huge stone barricades, and each was holding its own. Everyone was in his or her place, and Harry was glad of it. He rushed over to the doors only to see Dumbledore still holding back the enemy on his own, but getting ever closer to being hit.

"Albus, everything is ready! You can fall back!" Harry screamed.

Breathing heavily, the pair backed towards the stairs yelling, "Flagratem Incendious!" Another wall of fire erupted, but this one couldn't be quenched by water- in fact, water made its height increase.

Not thirty minutes after the Death Eaters' arrival the battle in the entrance hall was going nowhere, fast. Inside, the students and staff were easily holding back anyone trying to enter the doors. Suddenly, the focus of the pillaging Death Eaters turned and ran back out onto the grounds, seeming to realize that they were getting nowhere whilst inside. En masse, the school rushed forward and Dumbledore re-cast his barricades just outside the doorway. The battle raged on, but Harry noticed that it didn't seem to be directed at the school any longer. A man in a grey cloak was battling a group of Death Eaters outside the safety of the barricade single-handedly, and, in Harry's opinion, was doing quite well.

"He can't keep that up for long by himself." Ginny stated.

"They'll rush him from behind!" Hermione cried.

"What do you think, Harry?" asked Ron, wickedly.

"I know, they're right." Harry agreed, and without another word he and Ron launched themselves over the barricade and rushed to the cloaked man's aide. Banishing a group of Death Eaters with his wand he reached the man quite quickly.

"Need a hand?" Harry asked pleasantly, while Ron shouted a reductor curse to blast a large hole in the ground, and consequently, blowing a group of ten Death Eaters back towards the front gates.

"Nice to see you Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley," the man said, turning his head briefly to Harry before continuing to battle as though nothing had happened. Ron, Harry and the mysterious man in the grey cloak, depleting the Death Eater's army one by one, cast spell after spell but it wasn't enough. Support came from the castle doors when Ginny and Hermione ran screaming after Ron and Harry.

"Watch out!" cried the grey-cloaked man, deflecting a stunner aimed at Hermione. He had turned his back, and Ron caught Lucius Malfoy raising his wand.

"Avada—"

"GET DOWN!" Ron screamed, throwing himself on top of the mysterious helper. The curse shot directly over their heads, just missing them. Ginny shot a retaliatory stunner at Lucius, but missed. The man threw Ron off of him and stood up, aiming his wand at Lucius.

"Cuttera! Sectumsempra!" he screamed, directing his wand at the blonde Death Eater's face. "Ultimatus Bombarda!"

The Death Eaters were thrown back from the grounds towards the entrance where the battle had begun. Harry saw each of the Death Eaters wince slightly as they picked themselves up from the ground then run for the gates and disappear with their many "pops", leaving any unconscious, injured and dead behind. The Hogwarts army let up a cheer at their victory as Dumbledore rounded up all the fallen Death Eaters and bound them in an Anti-Disapparation jinx.

Harry had just turned to find Ron, Hermione and Ginny when he heard in his ear, "Wait for me, Mr. Potter, I will be back."

Harry turned to find the Unknown Man handing a bit of parchment to Dumbledore, and then walking back towards him.

"Who IS that guy?" asked Ron, excitedly. "We need good fighters like him!"

"He nearly got himself killed!" cried Harry.

"Yeah," admitted Ron, "but it was because he was blocking for Hermione! He saved her life!"

"Um, Ron, it was nice and all, but it WAS only a stunner."

"Whatever! Stunners hurt! Ask McGonagall!" Ron scoffed. "He can watch my back any time."

"True—good thing you were watching his, though" Harry commented.

"I—well, I—" Ron began, but the mystery man's return from Dumbledore's side silenced his stuttering.

"Who are you?" Harry asked blatantly.

"I am the Grey Knight, and nothing more." He turned to Ron, "Ronald Weasley, I thank you for saving my life today. I owe you a life debt, and I intend to repay it."

Ron shook his head. "No way. You don't owe me anything."

"Mr. Weasley," the Grey Knight protested, "you know that it's impossible to—"

"Never mind me, I said!" Ron huffed. "I want you to take the Life Debt you owe me and transfer it to Hermione Granger."

"Hermione Granger?"

"Yes! Hermione Granger! If I had been watching out for her in the first place like I should have, you wouldn't owe me anything. If for some reason I can't be there for her, I want to make sure someone will be! Harry's got too much to worry about all ready. Wizard's oath- I remove the life debt you owe me, so long as you transfer all it entails to one, Hermione Jane Granger."

Ron stuck out his wand and waited for the Knight to acquiesce. "Bind it, Harry," he said as soon as the Knight's wand touched his own. Harry shrugged and bound the oath.

The Knight nodded, and turned to Harry. "I will be around to assist you in any way I can, if you need it, Harry Potter."

Giving a short bow summoned a broom from a few meters away and disappeared around the North tower. Harry thought how he would not likely ever fully comprehend how odd a day it had been, but shrugged started to head back towards the entrance with Ron. As he came around the barricades Ginny grabbed him and hugged him, let go and slapped him across the face.

"Don't you EVER rush off into a battle like that again, Harry James Potter! You nearly gave me a heart attack when you jumped that barricade!"

Harry smiled at her. "Yes dear," he replied, and scooped her into his arms when she sobbed. After he let go and walked further into the castle and a small cheer came from four corners of the entrance hall.

He sighed, and shook his head. "Don't get your hopes up. We may have won the battle, but the war is far from over. This is not a complete victory. Voldemort will be back."

"Proffesor Flitwick!" came a startled cry. "Quickly!"

Over at the top of the stairs, one of the Ravenclaw girls in Harry's year was holding another student in her arms, crying.

"That's Sarah Fawcett," Hermione whispered in Harry's ear.

"Who's the other girl?" asked Ginny, nervously leaning in.

"Her sister, Mellisa," Ron supplied. "She was one of the best in the escape group. Loved to take time to help younger students."

Professor Flitwick ran over, helping Sarah to levitate her sister down the steps to where Professor Dumbledore was waiting. When they reached the bottom, Snape and McGonagall both approached the headmaster.

"Sir, Slytherin House has sustained one loss," Snape stated without feeling- Harry could have hit him. "Mr Zabini," he continued, "and a few minor injuries, but otherwise they're fine."

Harry had barely even registered the remainder of the report when his own Head of House stepped forward.

"Albus we—"

Rushing steps could be heard as a dozen people ran up the walk and into the hall. Albus turned and saw the group of Order Members that had arrived. Turning to Remus and Arthur as they hugged Ginny, Ron, Harry and Hermione, Albus muttered a few sentences before checking on the rest of the group.

"I thank you for coming, but all is taken care of. If you could wait for me in my office, I would be happy to debrief after I have handled the situation here."

The Order Members nodded, applying healing spells where they could along the way to the headmaster's office.

"Minerva you were saying?"

"Yes, Albus, we…" McGonagall's voice broke, and Hermione passed her a handkerchief. "We lost Mr. Thomas, and I believe the Creevey brothers will be fine—Poppy is taking care of them—touch and go, really, but… Professor Sinistra is gone, and the Hufflepuffs… "

"I'll see to them," Albus said gently, giving Minerva a pat and heading towards the Hufflepuff crowd where Professor Sprout was standing. Harry saw a boy lying on his stomach where Dumbledore's presence had parted the crowd. The headmaster approached and slowly rolled him onto his back. At first all Harry saw was the dark shock of hair, much like his own, but after a second he realized… one of his few out of house friends was lying dead on the ground.

"Oh, Justin… Oh no."