Chapter two: In blood and flames.
A/N:Wow, thanks you for the reviews, I was quiet nervous as this is the only good thing I think I've written! Anyway, this chapter was quiet difficult to write, and strings left loose I will tie in the next chapter… which should be the last, I've not quiet decided how this will end… it may lead to another story as I am very 'GO HARRY AND GINNY' he he.
The minutes it took them to get dressed felt like hours to Harry. He told Ginny to return to The Burrow and warn the others from there. Harry however, left Grimmauld place with his wand at his side and dressed in black robes. He apparated to Hogsmeade from a dark alley between the houses, seconds later he found himself outside a burning pub, the Hogshead.
Voldemort had taken his revenge on its owner, who was in fact Aberforth Dumbledore. The man who had helped Harry find and destroy his first Horcrux, the locket. Knowing he was needed at the school he conjured up his patronus and hoped Ron and Hermione would get it in time to save the Village.
Harry ran to the school, rumbles of thunder were heard in the distance and in the flashes of lightening that followed he saw Order members appear around the Village. They joined Harry in his race to Hogwarts.
"Harry! What's going on? Ginny said-" Bill Weasley was at Harry's side, his face still deformed from his fight with Fenrir Greyback in Harry's sixth year.
"Voldemort's attacking the school"
"The students! Hagrid!"
"Make sure you find him ok! He can get the students to safety, tell him I trust him!"
It only took minutes to reach the school. When they entered it's grounds through the gates (which had been blown of with amazing force) they froze for a second. The schools upper levels were ablaze, the grounds red and green from the flames and hovering Dark Mark which filled the black and smoky sky.
"Split up!" Harry shouted, "Bill, Charlie, Tonks and Kingsley. Stay out here and wait for others. Any death eaters you find, kill. The rest of you follow me!"
He led them into the castle, through the mass of screaming students looking for friends, brother or sisters. McGonagall darted down the stairs to Harry as the others proceeded to help the students and search for death eaters.
"They're on the upper levels, they're forcing us out!" she yelled over the students voices.
"Right , send up who you can! Get the students to Hogsmeade, some of the order will escort them" and Harry ran upstairs to search for Voldemort.
As he ran he thought of everything he had lost because of Voldemort and his obsession with immortality and pureblood. Now he was taking away Harry's only true home. His memories disappearing in blood and flames.
Around bodies lay either unconscious or worse, names and faces he didn't know, though equally important to him and the families who would be mourning them in hours to come.
Harry stopped running, he had gone past several levels and he saw no one, even the paintings were disserted, and no one was joining him either. Suddenly, from below he heard screams. Dashing to a window he saw black floating shapes in the grounds. Dementors. Silver silhouettes charged at them, and some weak shields conjured by the older Hogwarts students drove a few back. But they were also backed up by the death eaters who were supposed to be in the castle.
Harry had been led into a trap, and he could feel the familiar ice cold feeling penetrate his skin as a dementor approached him. Barely having to think Harry remembered the time he had just spent with Ginny, the way she had kissed him…
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A silver stag erupted from his wand and charged at the dementor, sending it flying back. However two more dementors were approaching, the stag forced them back enough for Harry to run. When he stopped he was stood at the bottom of a spiral staircase. The staircase that led to the tower Dumbledore had been killed on.
Harry knew, that was where he was waiting for him.
He reached the top, and sure enough the figure of Voldemort was facing the grounds. Obviously enjoying the chaos below him.
"Times up Tom. Nagini's dead, you're all that's left for me to destroy"
"Ha ha, Harry Harry Harry. I notice you do not say 'kill'!"
"You can't kill something with no soul"
"Oh but you can! I am still, regretfully, human. Can you do it Harry? Can you kill me?"
Harry wavered, all the training and travelling came down to what happened next. And Harry was truly terrified.
"Your fear…" Voldemort sniffed the air, "Ahhh it is so sweet to me Harry, sweet… like a certain young Weasley, wouldn't you say"
"SECTUMPSEMPRA!"
Voldemort deflected the spell. "Severus told me you had never mastered occulmency"
"Why? Why attack Hogwarts now? You're weak, we both know this. You've barely any soul… any life left"
"Because Harry I wanted to take everything from you, I wanted to make you understand pain- CRUCIO!"
Harry darted to the left and the spell left a smouldering hole in the wall behind him, Harry took the opportunity and aimed another spell at Voldemort. However Voldemort disappeared and apparated behind Harry. Hitting with a spell that sent him flying forward into the wall. Harry felt his brow split open and blood poured down his cheek.
"Oh did I not tell you… the schools defences have been disabled… to those with a dark mark…Crucio!"
Harry writhed in the familiar agony. He heard footsteps and a voice yell something and the pan stopped. Harry pushed himself up, breathing hard and clutching his wand. It was Ginny, holding the Marauder's map. Without time to wonder how she had got it he threw himself in front of her and conjured a shield to block another curse from Voldemort.
"Run Ginny!"
"No! I can help!"
The shield disappeared, and looking around the tower… so had Voldemort.
"Where is he?" Ginny whispered.
Harry placed his free hand on Ginny's shivering arm, ready to push her to safety is he had to. But Voldemort simply walked from the shadows from their left, his wand gone.
"Well done girl, I must say, if I couldn't blame losing my wand on my weakened state I would be embarrassed!"
Harry was impressed, Ginny had sent Voldemort's wand over the edge onto the grounds, now battlefield, below.
"I shan't be concerned… remember Harry I have learned magic's you cannot dream off"
Harry sent a stunning spell at Voldemort, but it bounced of an seemingly invisible shield. Ginny gasped moving out from behind Harry.
"And now Harry, we begin!… AVADA KADAVRA!"
The green light flew straight at Ginny…
