Harry stood on rampart over main Hogwarths gate looking into the dark forest with McGonnagal as Kingsley listened to Wood's report. Dark sky was slowly paling on east.
"I have six-member broomstick squad ready for quick attack."
"Good job," nodded Kingsley, "it's already five minutes after deadline and everyone is in position. Where are they?"
Harry felt anger coming in waves through his scar and nearly touched it with his finger. He felt that cold fury as never before and again despised himself for having part of Voldemort's soul in himself. Physical pain was searing from the scar but he refused it. He felt anger boil and then suddenly evaporate as if his immortal enemy have mastered himself. Harry opened his mouth and slowly said:
"He is coming... and he is ... furious... It is possible that he murdered someone just now to calm himself, ... or maybe he want to murder someone... Me probably." And there are Ron with Hermione somewhere in forest, waiting, trying to get near him. And he should be with them, not here waiting. What was worse, waiting here or there in the forest? Everyone here choose fighting, risking their lives, but it felt very different to be here behind damaged walls among friends or in the forest among enemies where one dry stick snap were difference between life or death. Or torture and death.
Kingsley was one to broke long uncomfortable silence: "We need to know, what they are doing."
"We will know it soon," said McGonnagal and then they appeared. Dark figures of Death Eaters were slowly emerging out of the forest lead by pale snake face of Voldemort. His voice was cold as chilling morning and his words were clear even without magic amplification.
"Your hour is up and you didn't give me Potter."
Defenders were waiting and more and more dark figures emerged.
"I take it, it is your wish to die horribly or worse."
Trees in forest were squeaking and banging as giants made their way to castle.
"But Lord Voldemort is forgivable and don't want your blood. I have great respect for teachers of Hogwarts, your knowledge, your power! You have fought well. There is no need for further bloodshed. I just want Potter. If you give him to me, we can forget your resistance and work together as friends on our bright future. "
"Liar!" Cried someone.
"We were experiencing your bright future here at Hogwarths for a year and we don't like it!"
"Dumbledore's army!"
"Silence!" Voldemort waved with his Elder wand and defenders were suddenly opening mouths and not saying anything. His red eyes were looking upwards and searching Harry's and his voice was magically amplified this time:
"Where are you Potter? Are you again letting your friends die instead of yourself?"
Harry stood on rampart and cried: "They are fighting against you, not dying for me!"
Is that really so? Wondered silently boy-who-lived. Are they really fighting against Voldemort's oppression or are they rallying under his flag? It was probably both. He fought and won once and he was hope, desperate hope, that they could win again. Repeat miracle, that banished evil last time. That's all good, however there was that little problem of course, he didn't know how. Face that cruel monster and defeat it in one on one duel? Unlikely. Voldemort was more experienced duelist and also he didn't hesitate to kill his right hand to gain advantage in that hypothetic duel.
"Nobody can stand against me and do not die! Harry Potter will not save you! I have nothing to fear from him. He is just a boy with a lot o luck. And his luck end today."
"Come here little boy, save your friends a defeat me in one on one duel."
Harry felt heavy hand on his shoulder and deep voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt responded to the Voldemort's challenge: "No, he will not. We refuse to do as you say."
"As you wish, let's see who will fight instead of you today... bring him in." And masked Death Eaters did. They brought Hagrid and with few wand movements and flashes, great, bearded man was kneeling before pale leader of darkness.
"Harry Potter, " said snake man mockingly towards Hagrid, "choose to refuse duel me and you will die instead!"
"No!" Cried Harry and only two pairs of strong hands stopped him from attacking Voldemort, he intended to use his wand and free himself, when Kingsley Shacklebolt said: "Wait Harry, we need to take initiative, to win this war, let's distract him with Snape." And then Harry stopped fighting, realising he can't win that way.
"No," said Kingsley Shacklebolt, his voice amplified by Sonorus.
"Harry Potter do not do, as you wish. We all don't want to do as you wish. Do you know why?"
"I don't say this to you Snake-man, I say it to you, his followers. Do you know what happens to ones who do his bidding? To the ones, who serve him, to ones who give him all? Do you know where is Snape?"
At this point Voldemort silenced Shacklebolt with his wand, so he was only opening his mouth without making any sound and then he stopped and waved his hand to start Pensieve action. Magic light started to pour from runes covered basin and sky was pierced by image of gigantic Snape and Voldemort. Cold words spread in the chilling air and Harry felt sick again as he was watching the scene again.
"Perhaps you already know it? You are clever man, after all, Severus. You have been good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen."
"My Lord -"
"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine."
"My Lord!" Snape protested raising his wand.
"It cannot be any other way." Said Voldemort. "I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last.
Voldemort swiped his wand and crystal ball with snake inside collided with Snape and encased him.
Voldemort hissed killing command in Parseltongue.
Snake fangs pierced human neck.
Terrible scream pierced sky.
Snape's knees hit the ground.
Then his body.
And then, light blinked and started again with image projection.
Voldemort started to attack pensieve. Two spells missed, before Dark Lord conjured black, hissing ball of snakes made seemingly of shadows, which he levitated to the pensieve and ordered snakes to jump on it, biting rune covered stone one by one until covering it entirely and slowly magically destroying projected image.
"I can devour you, like my snakes devoured that device!" Cried Voldemort when last blue light disappeared clearly basking in his success. "Lord Voldemort don't wish to fight you, we can build our future together."
"That is why we choose to stand against oppression of that lunatic, who wants only power and nothing good to our country. You can still choose to leave his side. Run away before it's too late and before he kills you too." Kignsley Shacklebolt was speaking again using Sonorus spell. "Anything is better than life with Voldemort!"
And then one of the Death Eaters turned his back to others and started to walk away. Just like that.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Cried one of his comrades and sent a quick spell after him. Deserter instinctively dived behind tree and started to run. Third Death Eater hit second with red Stupefy beam which made him meet ground. Then third Death Eater started to run too, but it was too late for him. He was hit by quick Crutiatus curse from furious Bellatrix Lestrange. And he screamed dropping on his knees.
Lord Voldemort slowly moved forward to his followers. Nobody else moved only Bellatrix tortured her prey. Voldemort stopped few feets from squirming man and cast Silencio as glowing sphere with Nagini inside was slowly moving forward to his side. Screaming stopped however man was still opening his mouth in horror and twitching in agony. Everybody was holding their breath and expecting his swift and cruel revenge. There was open rebellion in his own ranks before final attack on enemies. Potter did not show, Death eaters were stronger, however many more will die in this battle. And they knew it. Some of them didn't want to pay the price. He felt, he was only moment before they openly attack him. He must show them fierce leadership and expose treachery which lead to this unwelcome situation.
"What do you think, I should do?" He called to his men in calm voice. "This man swore to serve me and yet he was trying to curse my faithful follower. Should I ask him for reason of his disobedience? Or should I guess?"
Silence met his words, soon replaced with angry murmuring.
"Was his reason that pathetic talk? Would he risk his precious life for saving skin of that fleeing scum? Would he cast Stupefy?"
Harry was watching with others from rampart of castle, however he felt more then others. His connection to his eternal enemy gave him firsthand feel of what is going on. And he could feel anger throbbing through his scar, anger and something else. Curiosity.
"Something is not right, he knows that something is not right." Murmured boy-who-lived.
"We better get ready then, attack on my mark, whisper that to others," said Kingsley slowly to McGonnagal and she whispered to others. Everyone was silently preparing. Harry gripped his wand because his hand was trembling. This is it, attack and die. Go forward against deadly spells of their enemies. His throat was dry.
Voldemort stood before crucified man and was watching his twitching with deadly cold eyes. Then there was a movement beside him, burst of green light, which he dodged and countered with his own green flash. Deadly curse from one of his followers he dodged hit his prisoner. Voldemort's cursed did not miss. Another masked man was lying motionless in the grass. It was clear, that something is not right and he knew what. There was enemy somewhere in their ranks and he will find him. He was choosing weak among his followers and sending them against him! He will find who is doing this and make them suffer.
Long fingers of Lord Voldemort were holding his black wand and waving it in intricate pattern, wind started to whisper on tree leaves around and grass was suddenly moving, full of small snakes which seemed to be crawling everywhere in one moment. They disappeared soon after next wave of Elder wand. Another spell summoned dark flying cloud of insect, which seemed to be filling every space around. Voldemort stretched his mind to feel his little servants and then he smiled. He knew where to look, where bugs could not get. Where to point his wand. Burst of green light of killing curse hit something invisible on tree branch, met with red burst of Stupefy curse and then someone fell down with a sick thud.
"Let's see, who is foolish enough to play with Dark lord, I'm impressed by clever use of Imperius, but Stupefy was stupid." said Voldemort while he was walking towards the fallen one.
Harry was watching from rampart, ready for action, however he knew it was too late. His heart stopped beating when one of his friends fallen. Which one? Does it matter? Did anything matter? He was losing one friend after another, slowly there will be no one to fight with him in this sick war. Who can kill more people? Who will have more power than others? Who can rule them all? He didn't want to watch slow steps of evil wizard. He didn't want to hear confirmation of his fears. He didn't want!
But he stood there and watched. Heard those cold words as Voldemort turned body over with his foot. "Red hair, shabby clothes, ... and that means one Weasley less."
"Noooo!" Cried someone near and Harry was frozen as he watched another red head speeding on broom towards his mortal enemy. He waited only a second and then joined. He was suddenly sliding down from the ramparts with cry: "Nooooo!" He knew very well, that he can't match speed of broom and Ginny will be alone against fifty Death eaters.