Author's Note:
As some of you may have noticed (the five to seven of you who read it), I am triple posting The First Time Around so that it will end at the same as ASC (every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Thank you to everyone who has been reading it and leaving reviews on it. You are greatly appreciated!
Posting a day early because this weekend is Thanksgiving for those of us in Canada which means I'm working late and have two dinners to look forward to over the next few days. So 🇨🇦 Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canucks 🇨🇦and here's an early chapter!
Reviews and Comments: To minerdude: Thank you! Honestly, it was a complete coincidence that those two chapters lined up the same week for posting, but it was fun! Thank you! To Wolf's scream: I think Astoria did help a bit. Indeed, Sirius' visit was most fortuitous indeed. Thank you! To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thanks, I thought dusk sounded like a good setting as well. Yes, we will have to wait and see what comes next! Thank you! To the Mandalorian terminator: Thanks for loving the bit with Sirius and I am excited and terrified to show the final battle so buckle up! Thank you! To akshutalankar: I know the redcoats are coming saying is from something to do with the American revolution from movies, but I have zero idea who Garrett is so um, thanks? I hope you do think it's epic and I hope to not disappoint. Thank you! To destinight: Ha, I had to ask around to find out what the hell Venmo is, but no. Thank you. To Nuno Neves: Yes, it was shorter because I wanted to end it on the dream and foreshadow what is coming next! It was fun to show the Weasley couples and check in with them. I think Astoria did help Draco see the truth (thanks to celtics534 for suggesting I add in more of the Astoria moment). I'm glad you loved the Sirius scene, it was my favourite to write. Thank you! To Marauder0716: Thank you so much, I love you all 3000, too!
To alix33: Smart idea to ask Zee and Tonks for helping converting George's old room into a nursery. We'll have to see what happens. I'm glad you enjoyed the Sirius dream. Thank you! To Nan001: Oh, no, you cried when Sirius visited Harry's dream? I'm afraid to see what the battle will ensue. Thank you! To Sets: It's true, I love responding to the comments chapter by chapter. I'm sorry I made you cry. Thank you so much! To Zarathos Morgenstern: LOL, that is kind of funny. We'll have to see. Thank you! To Nightwing2013: Couldn't resist adding in that line and having it come from Draco only made it better. Even Draco knows Harry is a hero. Sorry the dream made you cry and the Theobas conversation made you choke up. Thank you! To Slaidback: Yes, ominous music is playing… along with another kind… Thank you! Ha, thanks for saying "this has been an epic retelling, Harry Potter where people used common sense." LOL. You're welcome. To KingRajesh: This cliffhanger might be worse, just saying… Thank you! To Emma Janet: Yes, I love the idea of Theo wanting to be a mind healer. I hope the battle lives up to most people's expectations — I know I won't please everyone. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you and yes, it does! To BrookGuitar: Sorry, you will have to wait a week and you think Fleur is pregnant and Bill's going to die? Interesting. Thank you!
To ellyann13: Yes, George did get his leg just in time. As to Fiadh's family learning about the baby, yes, the battle is going to make things interesting. Talking to Na'eemah is a good idea. Mint chocolate chip is the best ice cream outside of cookies and cream, just saying, I will not waver. The moisturizer is definitely for Ginny lol. Thank you! To the frozen flame: Thank you, I do think it was a reflection as well as a calm before the storm. Thank you so much for saying Theo is one of the best jobs of developing characters. Yes, showing the amazing relationship between Harry and Sirius was important, especially before the final battle. Thank you very much for your kind words! To A Huge Fan: Thanks for saying the Harry and Sirius moment was so beautiful, and yes, it was meant to be a show on that Dumbledore quote, it was definitely real. Thank you very much for loving the connection between the Big Cock Club here and in The First Time Around. It was a complete coincidence that the postings lined up lol. Thank you! To AngelOfHisLove: Thank you! To CrazyWithABook: Me neither! Thank you! To Read and Fly: Aww, I'm sorry I made you cry. Lily totally understands that Zee is Harry's mom and she adores her for giving him that maternal connection he's needed. Thank you! To Guest: I wanted Harry to show how important he still sees Sirius, he does miss him, every day. Thank you!
To harstonks: Yes, the final battle is upon us. Don't kill Tonks, Remus, or Fred? No promises. Besides, I finished all of this months ago so technically people have already died and you just don't know who yet lol. Thank you! To pix25: It's here! Thank you! To ascfan: Sirius is always hilarious, thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Yes, George has two legs! Thanks for loving all of my Weasley couple moments. Astoria is wise for her age. Theo does have great taste and a great goal! Zee did need Sirius more than Harry at the time and yes, that's how he becomes aware of the battle beforehand, Sirius warns him. Thank you! To Thrae: I love that you're getting popcorn for next week's chapter. Will Luna be saved by Canadian geese? Will a dragon eat Nagini? Will Voldemort finally get his hands on Ginny? I love all of these questions! We will see! Thank you! To GODMISHA: Welcome back! Thank you so much! To Saz J: You're caught up again! Welcome back! Charlie is definitely my cup of tea lol. Too bad he's fictional! It was fun to have Sirius return in a dream right before the final battle. Thank you! To deitarunner66: Thank you! To puttyman24: It was important for Sirius to have that dream visit with Harry. Yes, Draco has decided to fight. Thank you!
To George R: Thank you very much! To The Booknerds: LOL, sorry, no instant gratification. Thank you! To Khanate: Thank you! To musemesmer: Sorry to make you cry, but thank you! To BadWolfKris: Yes, Sirius gave him a warning! Thank you! To Masonjar191: Thank you! To Preethi Rao: Thank you! I'm glad you've been enjoying the Draco/Astoria dynamic. You think Theo is going to die? I'm glad you love Theo's sassiness and he is a pretty great character. That scene, well, will see if it will still come to pass or if Harry changed the timeline. Thank you so much for such a beautiful review! I'm honoured that you want to print out this work for yourself! I'm glad you love the Sirius visiting Harry moment too, it was a Dadfoot move. Thank you! To LadyLuna4129: Thank you for catching up! That is such a compliment that you feel like you're right there in the story, thank you so much! Thank you for such a beautifully written review! To AnaGPotter: Thank you! Harry will be ready! To TatiRena: Thank you very much! To AQuickRead91: Thank you! To coolshaurya: Thank you! To bruh99: Sorry, must space out chapter posting (only 15 to go!) Yes, I did want to show what people have to lose and thank you for saying that, I agree, Sirius coming to tell Harry is so important because he was his father in every way that matters. Thank you, Willie! To I_heart_cat: Thank you, sorry to have made you cry. I agree, having Sirius deliver the news to Harry is both a comfort and bad news at the same time. Theo does have a career perspective, as long as he survives the battle. The Weasley boys are doing well and I wanted to show that. Thank you! To Potterm1997: Thank you! To Amber: Thank you so much for sticking with me since 2019. I appreciate you more than you know! Thank you! To Endinium: Thank you! To Bellmel: Thank you for saying this chapter gave you chills! It was the calm before the storm. Ha, George got his leg and now I'm singing the Little Mermaid lol, thank you. Yes, they are making time to "get jiggy with it" before work lol, love the Will Smith lyric. Astoria is being very brave. I'm glad you loved the Theobas scene. I think it was important that Sebastian didn't push him and I think it's what made Theo open up more to him. They are in love with each other and yet neither of them will say the words just yet. Thanks for loving the dream as well. Thank you!
To AmericanDesi: I hope it is amazing, I'm very happy with how it turned out. Yes, Theo would make a great child therapist. Thank you! To Abhinav_india_16: Well, what can I say? Suspense makes the world go round lol. Thank you! To shuweet: Thank you! I'm glad you loved the Theo and Sebastian moment. Sirius visiting Harry was important and thanks for loving the timing of it. Thank you! To PotterFran17: I also don't want it to come (even though it's complete lol). Thanks for loving the moment with Sirius, Harry, and Marauder. Thank you! To katelyn453: Thank you! To PurpleLotus: Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Thanks for loving my George and Angelina! Well, no Victoire yet as Fleur was not pregnant. I love them calling him Theo's Auror, it's what he is! Thanks for liking the bit of Sirius returning in a dream to help Harry. Thank you! To Shivani: Yes, checking in with everyone was nice. I miss Sirius too and it was nice and important for Harry to see him before the battle. I think it brings everything full circle. It wasn't much of a cliffhanger no, but I think this chapter is. Theo's Auror (makes me smile every time I type it). Thank you!
To Gigi87: Yup, a regular old leg lol — just because lol. Yes, Bill and Fleur are trying to get pregnant yes. CBC stands for the Crann Bethadh Cabinet (CBC). I love showing Percy acting naughty, I think it fits his character in a unique way. Yes, will Fred live or not? That is the question. LMAO, saggy ball man, interesting term for Daphne's future spouse. Astoria and Daphne have one brother who is a Death Eater as well. Yes, Astoria knocked some sense into Draco. I think he's always been envious of Harry and it's part of why he's such an ass to him. You think Charlie is going to die? Interesting. I agree, it is quantity over quality when it comes to parents. Thanks for liking the idea of Theo being a mind healer for kids. I really like it and I know it's about fifty-fifty on people thinking it's a good job choice for him. Harry's sassy comebacks are so fun to writer! He is definitely a sex god when it comes to him and Ginny (and she can be considered a sex goddess as well). As to bringing everything and the hint about lightening, well you will have to see. That's a lot of death predictions! Thank you very much! Happy Thanksgiving! To ravenclaw_rockchick: Thank you! I'm excited too! I hope you like what's to come! Thank you!
My posting schedule: Weekly.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SIX:
The One Where We're Not Gonna Take It
Harry hadn't been able to go back to sleep that morning after his dream visitor. He and Ginny had lay in bed, going over everything that Sirius had said and trying to make sense of it. Then they headed down to the pitch to burn off some of their anxious energy and went for a run before they'd made love in the shower, Harry holding her close. Neither of them said anything; they just held each other. When Ginny pulled him close for a long kiss, he knew that it was on her mind as much as his.
He told Ginny that he would meet her at breakfast and made his way up to the Owlery. He sent a message out to Smith, making a final statement about his will, and when he watched Hedwig fly off, part of him wondered if he was going to live to see tomorrow. He didn't want to think about dying. He didn't want to think about not starting his future with Ginny, but part of him couldn't help but wonder if he would ever see another sunrise.
No pressure, he thought, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked down the stairs. He kissed Ginny's forehead before he sat down to breakfast, holding her hand in his; he didn't want to let go of her, even for a second. When they finished, he asked Seamus to get everyone together and meet him in Remus' office.
Thirty minutes later, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Dean, and Seamus were all standing in Remus' office. Harry leaned back against Remus' desk with Ginny sitting on the desk next to him, her hand still wrapped in his.
"What's going on?" Seamus asked, looking between Harry and Ginny with his eyebrow raised.
"He's coming," Harry said, his confidence building when he felt Ginny squeeze his hand in reassurance. "Tonight."
Dean's eyes widened as he shoved his hands into the back pockets of his blue jeans. "What? How do you know? Are you sure?"
"I am," Harry said. "I… Uncle Sirius visited me in a dream last night. Look, I know how mad that sounds, but I'm telling you — he was there to warn me. He said that Voldemort was going to attack. At dusk."
Hermione frowned. "Dusk is at eight fifty-seven PM, at least according to my weekly Astronomy chart."
"And Hermione would know," Ron said, hip bumping his girlfriend as she rolled her eyes.
Seamus crossed his arms in front of his chest, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. "All right. We can be ready. We will be ready."
Harry nodded, relief coursing through him. They would be. He knew that. It's what they had been prepping for over the last few months. It's what the Defence Club had been working towards.
"I know," Harry said. "It's why I asked the seven of you here. Ron, Hermione, you know who you can trust. Organize the prefects and get them to get the students down into the Chamber of Secrets no later than seven. We can't risk them wandering the castle in case he attacks earlier."
"He won't," Dean said, exchanging a look with Seamus. "If he's bringing his army, Harry, he can't have the vampires out before then — the sunlight will kill them."
"True," Harry agreed. "But I'm not taking any chances."
"Harry's right," Luna said. "The vampires can always come after the rest of his army. He still has giants and werewolves and Dementors and more."
"Oh my," Hermione mumbled, making everyone look at her. "Sorry," she said quickly. "It's just the way that Luna listed them off it makes me think of a film my mum loves. You know… lions and tigers and bears, oh my." When everyone only stared at her blankly, she cleared her throat. "Never mind, it's not important. Luna's right, he could attack sooner and have the vampires come in as backup. But I agree with Dean, he's going to wait until he has his full force at his fingertips. He's been waiting for this moment and he's not going to be pusillanimous. He's coming out in the open to attack the school for a reason. He's going to come with full force in an attempt to make us submissive and tamed. The one thing that Voldemort isn't is irresolute. He's hot-headed, but when he makes a plan, he sticks to it. Sirius told you dusk, Harry, and I don't think that he would give you such a specific time unless it was true."
Harry nodded. He thought the same and it was why he was positive it was going to happen tonight and they needed to be ready. Hermione was correct. Voldemort wasn't going to show up half-arsed and unready. He wanted Hogwarts and most of all, he wanted Harry dead.
No, he would definitely be coming in full force.
"Gin, call Theo and fill Sebastian in. The more ahead the MIA is on this, the more backup we'll have. I'm going to call Zee and tell Papa. I want everyone to be ready. The GWCS coins have been waiting for this moment, but the more people who are prepared for the call, the better."
Ginny didn't let go of his hand, but used her other hand to pull her mirror from her pocket. Before she could say Theo's name, a penguin Patronus burst through the wall of the castle, stopping in front of them. The bright yellow feathers that bounced on top of his head danced in an invisible wind. The fact that it was completely corporeal surprised him and Harry was just about to ask Ginny when Theo had managed to perform the charm so well when Sebastian Kane's voice emerged from the macaroni penguin.
"Voldemort plans to attack the castle at dusk. Prepare yourselves!"
Ginny's grip tightened on Harry's hand. "Guess Sebastian already knows."
"Which means that I was right," Harry said, biting his bottom lip. "He's coming. Tonight."
Ron shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, this is really happening then? We're going to fight… Voldemort. Bloody hell! What if the snake isn't here this time?"
"It will be," Harry insisted. "Malfoy, Zabini, and Goyle are coming to help."
"They are?" Ron asked, his eyebrow rising in surprise. "Wouldn't that constitute them actually doing something, other than hiding that is? Do they even know how to fight?"
Hermione hit him in the arm. "We need them, Ron! We need all the help that we can get! They want to help and fight back. If anyone deserves to fight against Voldemort its three people who have had their lives uprooted because of him."
"And Blaise is the bait for his mother," Neville added. "If the snake doesn't show, that is. We'll need him to get to her to get us the snake."
"Tom will bring Nagini," Ginny said. "As Hermione said, he's coming in full force and he would consider her part of his arsenal."
"Agreed," Harry said. "But it certainly helps to have a backup plan just in case."
Ginny's mirror vibrated in her hand and Harry bit his lip when he saw Theo's face on it. Ginny answered the mirror with a smile.
"Hi, Theo. We just received the Patronus."
Theo let out a shaky breath. "Good. I'm on my way back, chick. Bas just left to coordinate with D and J and the rest of his unit."
"We're in Uncle Remus' office," Harry told him. "We're going over the plans. How did Sebastian know about tonight?"
"They have someone undercover," Theo said. "Auror Z sent him a Patronus that said to get word to you before going in."
Ron leaned over the mirror to look at Theo. "Someone on the inside? That sounds interesting. So, is anyone else going to ask about the erumpent in the room?"
"What?" Hermione asked him, confusion in her eyes.
"The penguin!" Ron exclaimed. "Sebastian Kane has a fucking penguin Patronus just like Theo's! Doesn't that mean something or some shit like that?"
Theo blushed. "What?"
Ron shrugged. "Well, I don't know. We might die. Knowing that he's kind of meant for you is a cool thing, isn't it?"
"He has… it was… a penguin?" Theo whispered, his eyes wide. "Are you sure?"
Ginny's eyes lit up. "Aw, you didn't know! I think that makes it cuter!"
Theo bit his lip, his cheeks heating in the mirror. "I can't… I'll worry about the penguin coincidence later! I'm on my way!"
He disappeared from the mirror and Ron scratched his chin.
"Do they know that they're in love with each other yet? I mean, it's completely obvious to everyone else, right?"
"Ron, gossip later!" Harry exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "We need to get ready for tonight. As I was saying, you and Hermione have to get the students down to the Chamber of Secrets. Seamus, Dean, you lot have archers ready at the top of the towers, right?"
Dean nodded. "Yeah and Professor Rhiannon helped us coordinate when and how to move down to the staircases. Some of them are third and fourth years though."
"If they want to fight, let them," Harry said. "Once Voldemort and his army gets through, we can get them down to safety."
Seamus put his hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Not all of them are going to make it."
Harry closed his eyes. He knew that and Merlin, he hated the fact that he knew it. He hated himself for hoping that if they lost anyone, it wouldn't be someone that he knew.
"I know. To clarify, the charm to hold him back is tied into the shield on the school, correct?" Harry confirmed.
Ron nodded. "Yeah. McGonagall helped Seamus and I do it. Once the shield goes into place, it's part of the fail safe. When someone breaks through the shield, it will start."
"Good," Harry said, letting out a slow breath. "Good. That was… it was Uncle Sirius' idea and… good."
Ginny squeezed Harry's hand in hers again as Dean and Seamus left to organize the Defence Club. "What about what Sirius said? About bringing everything?"
Harry turned to stand between her legs, his eyes meeting hers. "I'm going to get them all. Keep them with me."
"And the Sword of Gryffindor?" Neville asked.
Harry turned to look at his friend, both of his hands in Ginny's now as he spoke. "You hold onto it and when that bloody snake appears, you stab the bloody shit out of it. Ron, Hermione, Luna — keep the Basilisk fangs on you in case you find Nagini first."
"We won't let you down, Harry," Luna vowed. "I'll be in the skies, but I'll keep my eye out for the snake."
"You're still going to be atop Osiris?" Ginny asked.
"Who's Osiris?" Harry interrupted, looking curiously between Luna and his girlfriend.
"One of the thestrals," Luna said. "Hagrid's given me permission to lead the herd."
Harry's eyes widened. "That's brilliant, actually. Luna, you do that. Ron, Hermione, and Neville will keep an eye out for the snake. Okay?"
"Okay," Luna agreed.
Hermione tapped her fingers on her leg. "I have the Basilisk fangs in my trunk. I'll get them, but I'm going to be with Dean and Seamus and the archers."
"Good," Harry said. "I want everyone to play to their strengths. I need all of you tonight, but more importantly, I need all of you to get out alive."
Neville's face was pale. "Then Ron should take the sword, not me."
"Nev —"
"—No," Neville interrupted. "I'm not saying that I can't do it and I'm not saying that I won't do it if the opportunity arises, but Ron's better at wielding the broadsword than I am. I'll take a Basilisk fang."
Ron's eyes met his as his tongue touched his bottom lip. "All right. If you're sure."
"I am," Neville insisted. "How will you know when it's done, Harry? How will you know when Nagini's gone?"
"That's what the Patronus is for," Harry said. "When the snake is dead, send word."
"And until then?" Ron asked.
Ginny's fingers latched onto his belt loops as she pulled him closer to her. Harry pressed a kiss to her forehead before he turned his head to look back at his friends.
"Until then, we hold them off," Harry ordered. "Let's go coordinate with McGonagall. Operation Kill the Sodding Bastard has officially begun."
~ ASC ~
Ron kept his eyes peeled as he stood at the front entrance hall with Hermione and Professor McGonagall. He and Harry had an unspoken agreement that he was going to find the snake and after Neville had insisted that he take the sword… well, to say that he felt pressure was an understatement. But he knew with absolute certainty that he would not let his best mate down.
He wore the sword of Gryffindor sheathed at his side. It felt heavy at his hip, but in a good way. He was ready to use it and he had been practicing with Theo in Defence Club over the last few weeks. Theo had been helping Professor Rhiannon teach the art of sword fighting when Egan Kerry, Laoise Munster, and Fiadh Tipperary weren't able to attend class. Tipperary's ability to use two swords at once was incredible and only Theo had even come close to her level of swordsmanship.
Theo had this thing called a Dara Knot that he used and he shared it with the others. It had been a gift from Finn to help him train and Theo had mastered it. The Dara Knot was spelled to bring forth warriors to fight against and Ron had never see anything so incredible before. Not to mention that the warriors took no prisoners and only Theo had ever been able to to defeat them. Finn had definitely taught him a lot about sword fighting and the fact that Theo used his sword every day was obvious to anyone who watched him fight.
He was a natural.
The muscles in his arms proved it and told Ron how much he didn't work out his own arms as much as he should. Sword fighting took a lot of upper body strength.
After practicing, Ron knew that he would never reach that level of skill that Theo possessed, but he was prepared to use the sword of Gryffindor for more than just the bloody snake if necessary.
"Are the archers ready?" McGonagall asked, pulling Ron from his thoughts.
"Yes, Professor," Hermione said, quickly. "Seamus has control over them. I'll be going up to help as soon as we're done here."
The archers were under the guidance of Dean and Seamus who had both done very well with archery under the help of Tara's Royal Guard. Kellan Cork had done wonders with the archers and Ron knew that Hermione had learned a lot from him. Ron still thought that watching her use a bow and arrow was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. He was starting to think if they lived through this, he definitely needed to tell her about his fantasy of her with the bow naked.
"What about getting the young ones to safety?" McGonagall demanded.
"Mandy Brocklehurst, Anthony Goldstein, Hannah Abbott, and Tracey Davis," Hermione answered.
"The Gryffindors?" McGonagall prompted.
"Hannah will take care of it," Hermione assured her. "Dennis Creevey is doing a head count with Daire Donovan down in the Chamber. Mandy and Anthony have lists of every student who is part of the Defence Club and every student who should be down in the Chamber."
McGonagall pursed her lips. Ron knew that no matter how all right she was with the plan, she much preferred that all of the students were gone from the beginning. But it wasn't going to happen. Too many of them had refused to flee and Ron was proud of them for wanting to help in any capacity.
Ron put his hands in his back pockets and stared out across the bridge at the gates that led to Hogwarts. Those gates had always represented such goodness; that thrilling excitement for a new school year. A new adventure. Arriving at the station in Hogsmeade and taking the carriages through those gates and up the bridge… now, he was seeing them as the first line of defence in holding back an army.
Suddenly the big wrought iron gates and stone pillars didn't look as inviting so much as not strong enough.
Ron knew that Voldemort would be descending upon the castle soon and the wait was even harder to do knowing that he was on his way. He almost would have preferred the surprise of it.
"Let's do this," Ron said, his eyes meeting that of the headmistress.
McGonagall raised her wand and snuck a look over her shoulder at them. "Between you and me, I've always wanted to use this spell."
Ron couldn't help but laugh as she waved her wand and yelled out: "Piertotum Locomotor!"
The large stone statues sprang to life.
Arms broke free of the brick, wielding swords and staffs, holding massive shields and sheathing daggers at the ready as they hopped down off of the wall. When they hit the ground, there was a rumble as they stretched and grew in size as tall and wide as a giant. The array of stone soldiers led the way one by one in the front of the castle; the warriors who had lined the halls and the front entrance way followed suit and took their place in line. Ron had barely even noticed them over the years, and now watching them climb down from the walls was truly a spectacular sight. Each statue stood over six metres tall and looked that much bigger when they hit the ground, making the castle rumble. They were tall, muscled, and outfitted from head to toe in swords, daggers, bows, arrows, and shields. Each warrior looked more impressive than the one next to them.
Ron cleared his throat, tearing his eyes away from the moving warriors, and when his eyes met Hermione's, she nodded. They both raised their wands in tandem and said: "Protego Totalum!"
The stone soldiers all gathered out into the front courtyard, marching down the long bridge to block entry to the castle, fanning out and encircling the entire grounds of Hogwarts. The golden shield dome began to slowly lock down around the castle and grounds as McGonagall looked on and ordered the second group of stone warriors to guard the back of the castle. They marched in tandem, the ground rumbling beneath their feet until the entire grounds were encircled by the stone warriors.
"Minerva!" Flitwick called out, making them turn. "Giants have been spotted near the Forbidden Forest. I think that they're going to come through it. Slughorn says if they come through it, they will bring the Acromantulas along with them."
Ron paled. He'd fought them once before and since they'd tried to eat him and Harry before his dad's old Ford Anglia had saved them, he would much prefer not to come face to face with them again.
"Get Hagrid. He might be able to control them," Ron ordered. "I know Aragog is gone, but they might still respect him."
Flitwick nodded and scampered off.
McGonagall let out a slow breath. "Weasley, let's man the castle. When he gets through, it's going to be a battle unlike anything we've ever seen before."
Hermione reached out for his hand as McGonagall took off to do what she needed to do. "The shield's in position. It should hold long enough for us to get things into place. We both know that it won't take long for Voldemort to dismantle it. Has Harry called the defence squads in yet?"
"Yes," Ron assured her. "They're biding their time so that they can surround the castle and hopefully his army. He's already activated his coin."
"And what about inside of the castle?" Hermione asked. "We can't hold it ourselves."
Ron's blue eyes met hers. "That's on us until they can break through the lines. Though the Order should be arriving soon."
"And the Spook Squad," Hermione added. "I heard Harry say that they will be coming in from underground. All Floos have been sealed off and all portkeys have been disbanded. No one can get in or out of Hogwarts by any magical means. They have to come through the front gates or as Professor Flitwick said, through the forest or through the Black Lake."
"Well, that's a start," Ron said. "Come on. We have work to do."
~ ASC ~
Harry was nervous. How could he not be? Today was the end; he knew it in his very bones, in his soul. He wasn't letting Voldemort leave this castle alive.
No matter what.
Part of him was terrified, but a bigger and stronger part of him knew that no matter what happened, this was where his story was taking him next.
After filling his friends in and getting the first bit organized, he and Ginny separated to get things organized. He made his way up to his dorm to find something to wear. He wanted to be comfortable when he was fighting and he wanted to wear the robed cloak that Misha and Sorcha had bought him for his birthday last year. After all, it had built in protection and he could definitely use that.
He changed into his comfortable black jeans and black combat boots, the ones that Sirius had bought to match his when he'd been fifteen. Zee had helped him adjust them once when his feet had grown a size bigger and he was thankful that they still fit comfortably. He grabbed his red Gryffindor Quidditch tee shirt and pulled it over his head before pulling on Sirius' black leather jacket. Then he tugged the cloaked robe out of his trunk.
The long hooded overcoat was black and the softest and lightest material he'd ever touched. The inside was bright Gryffindor red and the red trimmed the stitching and filled the inside of the hood. It was full of hidden pockets and compartments with featherlight charms which meant he could carry as many things as he wanted without weighing himself down. It was perfect to hide what he needed to and to carry both of his wands. He remembered Misha telling him that the cloak was attuned to the wearer so that he could find anything he needed in his pockets in seconds. It was made to keep him cool and warm, weather permitting, and the material had a slight shield charm on it to offer basic protection to the wearer.
Harry pulled the cloak over his leather jacket, putting his arms into the form-fitting sleeves that molded to his body before he opened his trunk and carefully added the trinkets to his pockets.
Yes, this was exactly what he needed.
He moved through the castle like a general checking on his troops. Seamus and Dean were on the roof and he knew that between the two of them, they had everything covered. They'd organized which students were in which towers, but the main assault was coming from the Astronomy Tower under the watchful eye of Professor Rhiannon and help from the Royal Guard of Tara. The stone warriors stood guard surrounding the entire castle; all one hundred and fifty of them. Hagrid had Blast-Ended Skrewts lined up along the edge of the Forbidden Forest and each professor had a different section of the castle with a group of Defence Squad students as backup.
Flitwick and McGonagall were in the Great Hall, prepared to deal with the first onslaught along with Professors Trelawney, Sinistra, De Milo, and Slughorn. Professors Birmingham and Raffigan were in the halls leading towards the back entrance where Professors Sprout and Vector were holding up the rear.
But it wasn't enough.
The arrival of the Order of the Phoenix was a welcome sight, but only a handful of them had made it in before the magical wards had been shut down. Harry met them in the fifth floor corridor outside of the Room of Requirement. He spoke to Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, and Moody when they arrived and hearing Moody bark out gruff orders made him feel better.
They weren't alone.
"If he's smart, he'll have the giants come in through the forest and encircle the castle. The fact that they're hovering near it tells me I'm right. Once he knocks the shield down, they'll do the most damage on breaking in," Moody declared. "The giants will come through the forest and then he'll probably send in the vampires and the wolves."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because he's a bigot and considers their lives less worthy than those of his Death Eaters," Vance declared. "Aberforth said that he was sending us help."
"Good," Moody said, gruffly. "We need more wands. Where the bloody hell is Aberforth?"
"I'm here, you old fart," Aberforth said, appearing behind them. "Calm your tits."
When Harry turned, his eyes widened. Not only was Aberforth Dumbledore standing there, but more witches and wizards seemed to be coming out of the Room of Requirement behind him. Aberforth had smuggled in his own private army. Harry hugged Zee when she ran towards him, his eyes on the men and women who came in with her.
"Magizoologists?"
"Abso-fucking-lutely!" Zee exclaimed, kissing his cheek. "We have our own setting up to do. Two Aurors are at the Hog's Head guarding the door and letting people in so that they can get to the castle."
"Get in how?" Harry asked, looking back at where the door to the Room of Requirement had appeared. "Where did you come from?"
"Albus and I built a secret tunnel from the pub to the school many years ago. Don't worry, Potter. People are coming to help," Aberforth said.
Harry felt rather reassured by that.
"Ron, Hermione, and McGonagall have set up the ancient protections from the castle itself and put the shield in place. Hermione's at the top of Gryffindor Tower with some of the archers and Ron is getting organized down below," Harry said as Moody gave gruff sounds of approval.
"All right. Good. You lot can set up on the grounds by the Forbidden Forest," Moody ordered.
"Not us," a tall, thin man declared. He had sweeping dark hair and dark eyes. "We'll be going up to the tallest tower to prepare." He held up his arm to showcase the large trunk he carried between him and a woman with long blonde hair. "We have a secret weapon."
"That's Raphael Ouellette and Reagan St Louis from the Canadian Ministry," Zee told him. "Rolf, show them where to go."
Rolf's tongue was in his cheek as he nodded, a small beat-up old case in his hand. "With pleasure, Zee."
Harry watched them hurry off before the man covered in tattoos stood forward.
"Zhang and I will head down to the Black Lake."
"Thank you, Abioye," Zee said. "And tell Bura not to wait for me. Get everyone ready. I've already sent word to Princess Sapphira and she's going to coordinate from her end."
The two men nodded and disappeared along with another agent that Harry didn't recognize.
"Charlie and his trainers are coming from the Menagerie," Zee assured him. "It will take a bit, but there are three of them."
"Three?"
"Yes," Zee said, her smile widening. "Didn't I mention that they'll be flying in on dragons?"
Harry felt his mouth drop open and for the first time all day, he felt a surge of hope soar through him.
They were ready.
And Voldemort wasn't getting out of here alive.
Operation Kill the Sodding Bastard was finally bloody here.
~ ASC ~
Leaving Tonks and Teddy had been the hardest thing that Remus had ever done. But the moment that Harry had sent word, Remus knew that there was nowhere else that he could be but by his side.
Today wasn't just about being there for his son. It was about showing up and finally putting an end to the madness that had plagued them for years. Today was not only for Harry and for everyone else, but it was for Sirius. For James. For Lily. And even a little bit for Peter.
Remus kissed Teddy's cheek, inhaling that sweet scent of baby.
"I love you, Teddy. You're everything that I never allowed myself to hope for. You're everything that I've ever wanted. I am so proud to be your father. I love you."
"That sounds like goodbye," Tonks said from the doorway, her grey eyes on his.
Remus turned, their son in his arms, taking in her lean frame. Her short hair was back to regular spiky curls, part of her head shaved. The bright bubblegum pink with hints of purple made him smile. The baby weight had melted off of her rather quickly, but her breasts were still fuller and her stomach a little plumper. He thought that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever set his eyes on.
"I don't want it to be."
Tonks stepped into the nursery and wrapped her arms around both of them. "I should be there."
"No," Remus insisted, kissing her forehead. "I love you. But we can't both be there today. Teddy needs us."
"Yes, he needs us," Tonks repeated. "If I'm not there to save your arse, how will you come home to us?"
His lips twitched. "I love you, Nymphadora."
Tonks stood on her toes, brushing her lips over his. "I love you, too."
Remus kissed her, pouring everything that he had into the kiss and when he let go, her hand moved to clutch the heartbeat that she wore around her neck. He pressed his lips to the top of Teddy's head once more before he passed their son to her. He kissed her forehead and with one final look, grabbed his wand and hurried off to Hogsmeade.
He met Adrian and Echo inside of the Hog's Head ten minutes later, nodding at Aurors Savage and Proudfoot as they let them inside.
"Where is everyone?" Remus asked.
"Hawk is getting them ready," Adrian told him. "We're making sure that the young ones are being looked after. Daimon and Rune will be here soon as well."
"What about Volk?"
Echo licked her lips. "He's coming, Romulus. According to him, nothing on earth will stop him from missing the opportunity to rip Greyback apart limb from limb."
"Well, I guess that's as good a sign as any that we'll have more manpower," Remus surmised.
"Are you going to fight with us, Romulus?" Adrian asked.
Remus' golden eyes met his. "I'm going to fight where I'm needed the most."
They turned as Rune and Daimon jogged up the street.
"Everyone is meeting at the Council of Elders with the portkeys designated to go off," Rune said. "As soon as their squad leaders touch the GWCS coins, they will all be brought directly to them."
"Good," Remus said. "Because all other magical means have been stopped from gaining entry to the castle. This is about to become a siege and the last thing that we need is a Trojan Horse finding its way inside."
Rune reached out to clasp Remus' shoulder. "We won't let you down, Romulus. Let's end this. Tonight."
~ ASC ~
Draco waited for Blaise and Greg to make their way downstairs, checking his watch. Potter's Patronus had arrived and told them that they had ten minutes before Aurors arrived. The sight of Higgins, Atwell, and Baxter coming in through the front door told him their time was up.
"Well," Atwell said, raising an eyebrow. "Where is your entourage?"
Baxter snorted. "He has an entourage?"
"If anything, he's part of my entourage," Blaise corrected as he came down the stairs with Goyle on his heels. "What's the plan here?"
"The plan is that if you three want to fight, you come with us," Baxter said. "Zabini in particular."
Blaise pursed his lips. "For the record, I still vote on neutrality."
"Shut it, Blaise," Draco said. "You're coming with us. We're not going to bloody-well sit here and do nothing while this battle rages on. Goyle's in."
Greg's nod was the only indication that he gave.
Higgins looked between them before he gestured to the door. "I hope you three know what you're doing. Trusting Potter is one thing, he's the Chosen One, but you three… try not to get yourselves killed."
"I'm coming, too!"
Draco turned, his mouth open in surprise as he watched Astoria run down the stairs. She'd changed into black tights and a long-sleeved black tee shirt. Her long black hair was pinned up in a high ponytail and her wand was holstered at her waist under the black cloak she wore. He noticed that she even had knee high black boots on.
"No," Draco growled. "She's barely fifteen. She's not coming!"
Astoria ignored him, but her eyes narrowed. "I'm coming."
Atwell pursed her lips. "These three are of age, you're not. I cannot in good conscience bring you to a war zone, Miss Greengrass."
"I'm not asking," Astoria shot back. "If you don't take me with you, I'll go myself."
"Tori!" Daphne exclaimed from the top of the stairs. "Stop this! You're too young!"
"I'm not!" Astoria exclaimed. "I had to leave school and come to live here just so my father wouldn't marry me off and breed me like a broodmare! I've had to miss out on my education because of this psycho and Professor Lupin said that I was great in Defence Club. I can do this, Daph!"
Atwell shook her head but Greg reached out to offer his hand.
"Goyle!" Daphne demanded from the top of the stairs.
Astoria ignored her sister and took his hand in hers. "Thank you, Greg."
Higgins turned to exchange a look with Atwell and she swore under her breath.
"Fine. But for the record, I disagree with this completely. Baxter, watch her."
Baxter pouted. "Why me?"
"Because I fucking said so," Atwell exclaimed. "Let's go!"
Draco moved to stand next to Astoria. "Why are you doing this?" he hissed under his breath.
Astoria turned to look at him and he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, even with her eyes full of fiery defiance. "Because I want to help end this. I want my life back, Draco."
He could understand that better than anyone and he found himself nodding as Daphne ran down the stairs.
"I'm coming, too."
"Oh for the love of Merlin!" Atwell muttered.
"Daphne! I don't need to be protected!" Astoria exclaimed.
Daphne pulled her sister into her arms. "I'm coming, too."
Atwell exhaled. "Fine. Let's go!"
Draco followed the Aurors out of Wiltshire Manor as Blaise looped his arm through his. He didn't think that Daphne or Astoria should be coming along, but if he was honest, he wasn't sure if he should be either.
"Don't back out on me now," Blaise muttered. "If Mamma is there… and that snake… fuck! I don't even know how I'm going to approach it if I have too."
"Potter said that was only if the snake didn't come with the Dark Lord," Draco corrected. "But if Bellarosa is there… take her with you, Blaise."
Blaise's dark eyes met Draco's. "And what? Run?"
Draco shrugged. "If necessary."
When the eight of them Disapparated to Hogsmeade and Higgins led the way into the Hog's Head, Draco couldn't help but wonder if they could stop any of the other Death Eaters as easily as Blaise could potentially stop Bellarosa.
No matter what happened today, they all needed to be prepared for anything.
Even if they found themselves fighting someone they'd once known.
~ ASC ~
Leaving Harry in the castle wasn't something that Zee was overly excited to do, but she also knew that her son could take care of himself. She was needed somewhere else and she had her own job to do to get ready. The sky was already starting to change colour, letting them know that Voldemort would be arriving very soon. The fact that giants had been spotted already waiting on the other side of the Forbidden Forest certainly confirmed that fact. But when it came to coordinating the plan and setting up, it wasn't like they could stand around all day in position. No, they needed to make sure that they'd rested and were at full strength for what they were planning to do.
This was bigger than anything any of them had ever faced before.
She whistled at Lady Godiva and the panther followed her down to the Black Lake to where King Lir was waiting to talk with her. Professor Babbling was already there, interpreting. After a few quick statements involving the plan, she made sure that the magizoologists she'd come with were all ready to go.
She spotted Rolf coming out of the castle as Hagrid made his way towards her.
"What's it looking like, Rubeus?"
"Got ter skrewts all lined up! It won't stop 'em, but it sure as hell will slow'em down," Hagrid assured her. "Evening, Rolf."
"Hi, Hagrid," Rolf said with a smile. "Ouellete and St Louis are all ready up top, Zee. I'm going to open up shop by Hagrid's hut, if he doesn't mind?"
"Course not!" Hagrid said. "What 'ave yer got planned, Rolf?"
Rolf's lips curved. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve. When I wrote my CRAWLS and headed out on my first exhibition, Grandpa gave me his most prized possession." He held up the ratty briefcase with a smile. "I have a few friends who are willing to help us out."
Hagrid's eyes widened to saucers. "Is that… Scamander's infamous case?"
Rolf winked as he placed the case on the grass and popped open the locks. "Why don't you come inside with me and find out?"
Hagrid looked like Christmas had come early so Zee left them to it and flagged down Bura and the two witches that she was with.
"Any news from the centaurs?" Bura called out.
Zee shook her head. "No. They've still refused to attend all Ministry meetings. As far as we know, they're hiding in the forest and we can't depend on them to come out and help."
Bura held her tongue in her cheek, rocking back on the heels of her feet. "I disagree. The giants are waiting for word from You Know Who before entering the forest and the centaurs are going to be forced into this war whether they like it or not. Anya, Roberta, we're going into the forest."
Zee watched them march off in determination and thought that it would be a miracle if Bura managed to pull this off. The sight of the trees moving in the distance told her that the giants had just entered the forest.
They still had a lot of work to do.
~ ASC ~
Professor Birmingham, going on Flitwick's intel, told them that the giants had officially entered the forest just after dusk. Dusk officially set two minutes prior and Hogsmeade was full of Apparating witches and wizards who filled the streets as they all moved towards the gates of Hogwarts.
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement had spent the afternoon going door to door and evacuating the village to keep the townspeople safe. It had taken four hours to do so and not everyone had been willing to go quietly. It made Harry feel better to know that they had been pushed out for safety and he was oddly relieved to know that it was finally happening.
Harry patted the pockets in his cloak that were full of the Horcruxes, feeling comforted to know that they were in there. His second wand was strapped to his ankle and his phoenix and holly one was in his hand. The knife that Sirius had given him was in another pocket.
He was as ready as he could be.
Ten giants were moving through the Forbidden Forest according to the Wing Guards. The sight of the trees moving and breaking told them that they were making good time. When they made it through the forest, they would be greeted to the army of statues as the first line of defence along with Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts. Of course, first the shield would have to come down and it only covered half of the forest. Until then, the giants were trapped. Another five giants were in Hogsmeade, walking through the streets with a large number of black hooded cloaks wearing arabesque death masks covering their faces. Vampires and werewolves were at the front, fangs bared, even the wolves looked less than human.
He lowered his omnioculars as Moody reiterated what was in the distance.
Harry found that waiting for Voldemort to breach the castle wasn't as nerve wracking as he had expected it to be. He stayed in the front, coordinating with the Defence Club, the professors, the Aurors, and the Order of the Phoenix. The castle was being guarded at every entrance. Each section had a small unit ready to defend it and according to Zee, the Terra Troops were waiting to surround Voldemort's army once they got into the castle. Once inside, they wouldn't be able to Apparate or escape other than through the front gates, through the Forbidden Forest, or through the Black Lake.
The Aqua Protectors were already on the other side of the Black Lake and from what Harry understood, they would be travelling through the Black Lake in underground portals that allowed magical creatures to jump bodies of water. Magizoologists were on the shore waiting to give word to them.
The Wing Guards were stationed at the towers of the castle, in high trees near the Forbidden Forest, and in different areas around the village of Hogsmeade. They were hidden accordingly until told otherwise and more were coming from the Ministry — on dragons, on thunderbirds, and on hippogriffs.
Harry knew that it was going to be a sight unlike anything anyone had seen before.
The Spook Squad had been kept a secret within the Defence Department. No one really knew who was part of it, nor what they did, but Harry understood now. The Spook Squad was not only full of Aurors, but MIA Aurors, Unspeakables, and Hit Wizards and Hit Witches. They were here to incapacitate and kill any and all that were necessary. They also had a second group who had built a magical ward inside one of the classrooms off of the Great Hall that was being used to lock up all prisoners when necessary. Though Moody had informed him that there was a way to lock prisoners in place until they could be moved safely.
Fred and George had arrived together with Lee Jordan and Angelina. The four of them had headed upstairs with boxes of supplies that Harry wasn't entirely clear on. He thought that he'd seen fireworks in there and had no idea what they planned to do with them, but he had a feeling that anything the twins had invented was going to be worth the wait. Fred came back downstairs a few minutes later and clasped Harry on the shoulder.
"George has it under control. I'm heading out to the pitch to meet the Wing Guards."
"What are you guys going to do?" Harry asked.
Fred's lips curved. "Harry, you worry about old Moldieshorts and let us handle the rest." He pulled Ginny close for a hug. "Take care of our Chosen One, Gem."
"You take care of yourself," Ginny said.
Fred winked. "I'm indestructible."
He saluted them and hurried off, his broom over his shoulder.
Harry snuck a look over at Ginny, who had refused to leave his side once the giants had officially been spotted. He needed her to be safe above everything else, and looking into her eyes, he knew that there was nothing he could say that would make her move from his side.
"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered, squeezing his hand in hers.
Harry brought it to his lips, kissing the back of her hand. He was both terrified and comforted by her words. "I know."
They were ready and now they had to wait.
~ ASC ~
Tonks spent thirty minutes breastfeeding Teddy, burping him, and then rocking him to sleep after Remus left. He snuggled on her shoulder, his little hand curled under his cheek. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and his tuff of black hair changed to a golden brown like his father's.
"I love you, Teddy."
She carefully placed him in his cot before she ran to the bedroom to change. She slipped on her favourite black leather trousers that she often wore for work with her knee high boots and chose a black v-neck tee shirt to wear under the green dress shirt of Remus'. She rolled up the sleeves and tied it at her waist before grabbing her wand holster and her badge. She tucked her wand into her holster before running around to pack a bag for Teddy. She took the breast milk from the ice box, two dozen nappies, five outfits, burp clothes, and everything that she could think of, shoving the bag closed and putting the strap over her shoulder before she scooped Teddy back up.
He woke, but only blinked at her. She took him through the Floo, covering him with a blanket, and landed in the living room of Black Cottage.
Sorcha came out of the kitchen with a dish cloth in her hands. "Dora?"
"Sorcha, I'm sorry, but I can't let my man be out there alone. He needs me."
Sorcha's eyes softened. She tucked the dish cloth into her jeans and took the baby bag from her. "I'd be honoured. Mina, Leo, and Aydin are already in bed. Don't worry, Colt and Flo are next door when I need help."
Tonks hugged Teddy tightly, her lips pressing against his cheek. "I love you, my darling."
Teddy blinked at her.
Tonks kissed him once more before she carefully passed him to Sorcha, blinking back tears. "He just ate. There's some breast milk in the bag, enough for three more feedings."
"He'll be fine," Sorcha assured her. "Go, but come home. Teddy needs you to come home."
Tonks half smiled before she leaned in to kiss her son's head once more. "Thank you."
Then she left through the front door and Disapparated to Hogsmeade. The black cloaks in arabesque death masks seemed to be everywhere. She concealed herself and used the back alleyways to get to the Hog's Head. Savage was at the door and his eyes widened when he saw her.
"Fuck, Dora! You shouldn't be here!"
"Would you sit at home twiddling your thumbs while this is going on, Sal?"
Savage pursed his lips. "You just had a fucking baby, Lupin."
"I did, almost a month ago, not yesterday. And I'm doing this, for him. I don't want him to grow up in a war."
Savage looked like he wanted to protest before he sighed. "Get in. You just made it. We're closing up the entrance in two."
Tonks squeezed his arm as she walked by and moved towards the portrait of Ariana Dumbledore, hopping up onto the bar to crawl into the tunnel. She watched Savage say something to Proudfoot before they crawled in after her, closing the portrait and locking it and them in total darkness.
"Lumos," Tonks whispered, illuminating the tunnel.
"Missed us that much, eh, Lupin?" Proudfoot teased.
"What can I say? I missed your face so much, Maverick, that I was having withdrawals."
Proudfoot snorted. "I am one sexy son of a bitch."
She looked over her shoulder and winked. "Exactly. Not everyone can have a face that looks like Savage's arse."
"Oi!"
Savage laughed, his voice echoing in the tunnel. "Fuck, I missed you, Lupin."
She grinned as they walked through the winding tunnel and thought it felt damn good to be back. It took fifteen minutes to walk through the tunnel before they finally reached a staircase. The climb up seemed to take forever and when she looked back and could barely see the bottom of the stairs, she wondered just how far up they were going. Then she saw the door up ahead. When she pushed it open and stepped down into what looked like a large war room, Sebastian pulled her into his arms.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Same as you, I reckon," she said.
He growled but didn't say anything else.
Atwell smiled and Higgins ran over to fist bump her.
Moody raised an eyebrow, his scarred mouth twisting into his attempt at a half smile. "Never could keep that one out of a fight."
Tonks grinned back at him. "You need me and you know it. Who else are you going to trust to have your back?"
Moody shot her an annoyed look, but when she moved to follow him out of the room, he touched her arm.
"Glad to have you, Dora. We need the best of the best here."
"Why, Mad-Eye, are you saying that I'm the best you've ever had?"
Sebastian snorted from behind her. "You have balls, Lupin."
"Big ones," Tonks said, her eyes meeting his. "But not as big as my husband's cock which I'm here to protect. Well, mostly him, but his cock too."
"Merlin help us," Moody mumbled.
Sebastian took her arm. "Come on. You can come with me. Jin is waiting for Rossi under the bridge."
"Rossi? Your man on the inside?"
He nodded. "He's about to jump ship. Let's go."
~ ASC ~
Voldemort had spent the day preparing for the evening. Belladonna had helped him with the runes, to perfect the spell needed to take Potter's powers and to drain him of all of his magical essence. The thought of making him weak, of watching him be helpless before he killed him was a dream he'd never imagined and one he knew that he couldn't live without. He didn't have to worry about his wand acting up against Potter's no, he would take his magic and he wouldn't even need the damn wand at all. The thought of finally taking Potter's life, of snapping his neck or smashing his face in left him feeling giddy.
It was why he'd called for Bart in the early afternoon and ordered him to his knees. The thought of finally killing Potter once and for all was what finally gave him his release. He groaned, his hips rutting against Crouch's face as he finished. Then he patted Crouch on the head and told him to get ready.
"I need you at your best tonight, Bart," Voldemort told him, reaching out to use his thumb to wipe the semen from his lips. "Will you bring me your best tonight?"
Crouch licked Voldemort's thumb clean. "I promise, my Lord. It would be my honour, my Lord."
Voldemort waved him off. "Good. Go on."
Crouch had scampered off with a smile on his face and Voldemort had spent the next few hours in deep meditation, going over his plan. Belladonna had the runes and the spell in hand, but he knew it by heart. It was just a matter of getting all of the pieces into place.
And getting to Potter.
Once they caught him in the circle, it would be over.
Voldemort Apparated to Hogsmeade with Nagini by his side. He had his wand in his hand as Belladonna and Bellatrix walked along either side of him. Crouch trailed behind him, leading the rest of his most loyal followers. They made their way through the throng of Death Eaters until he stood in front of the tall gates concealing the bridge to Hogwarts.
He took a moment to look up at the castle. He had always felt comforted by the castle. It had been his first real home, the place where he had discovered all of its secrets. The place he'd found his connection to his family, to Slytherin, and the place where he'd earned his true name: Lord Voldemort.
Looking up at it now, it looked the same way as it had all those years ago. The tall towers, the sparkling Black Lake, and the long bridge over the water leading through the front doors. But this time, he was amused to see the big protective shield shimmering in a dome around the entire property. The golden energy had a blue sheen that shimmered like a large crystal ball around the castle and it zapped them as they attempted to pass through it.
Voldemort's eyes narrowed. Good, they knew he was coming.
He turned to look at the witches and wizards who he had at his disposal, a cruel smile pulling at his thin lips.
"Tonight is the night. I will kill Harry Bloody Potter once and for all and we will take the castle, if we have to kill everyone inside to do it. Any child with pureblood, you may lock away to preserve them, but the others… do with what you wish."
Fenrir Greyback licked his lips. "Anything, my Lord?"
Crouch giggled, clapping his hands together. "Oooh, so many new toys! I call dibs on McGonagall, dearies."
Bellatrix snorted. "You'll never take her alive, Bart."
Crouch's twisted smile was enough to make Voldemort pause. "Watch me."
Voldemort turned back to the shield protecting the property. "They will be prepared for us. But we will prevail. Now, take it down."
Wands rose into the air as they began to work cohesively to take down the shield. Voldemort reached his hand down to pat Nagini on the head.
"Don't stray too far, my sweet. You can eat anyone you want."
Nagini hissed that she would be pleased to do so and Voldemort stared up at the castle as spells hit the shield. Each one seemed to bounce off of it, but he could see the shield weakening. It would take a bit, but he wasn't concerned. After all, he had giants and vampires and wolves coming in through the Forbidden Forest.
He gestured towards the trolls on the side. He would send them in first. He had a hundred Dementors coming in over the Black Lake.
No, he wasn't worried at all.
It took another five minutes but when the shield came down, his lips curved.
It was time.
Greyback led three wolves forward. They ran headlong at the gate again and again and again. The locks rattled and one of them roared in anger. Voldemort merely gestured to the troll on his right. The troll clomped over to the gate and with two big pushes, the gate swung open right off of its hinges, slamming to the ground with a loud bang.
Two dozen wolves and vampires trampled through the broken gate with trolls following behind them. Voldemort trailed in their wake, his eyes on the castle looming ahead at the end of the long stone bridge. They stepped foot onto the bridge just as large stone warriors blocked their path. The warriors stood as tall as giants and almost as wide, their large stone arms menacing as they blocked entry along the path.
Two vampires jumped up to attack one of the statues. A massive stone arm grabbed the vampire by the neck and tossed him into the side of the bridge so hard that the stone crumbled.
"What is this?" Cassia Lestrange asked, her eyes wide as she stared up at the stone warriors.
Voldemort sneered. "Hogwarts' defences."
He flicked his wand and the first statue in his path disintegrated to sand.
He watched emotionlessly as a wolf's neck was snapped, one troll was decapitated, and two vampires were impaled upon stone swords, but fifteen stone warriors were turned to dust before Voldemort sent the Dark Mark rising up over the castle.
"You think you're clever," his voice rang out into the night as if he was speaking into a microphone. "Statues will not deter me from getting inside. Stone warriors are not enough to stop me. I will destroy and kill everyone in my path… unless… you give me Harry Potter."
He flicked his wand as another statue dove towards them. Sand showered them as the statue was taken down; another crumbled into pieces, a stone head rolling off of the edge of the bridge and dropping down into the Black Lake with a loud splash.
"Send me Harry Potter, and I will harm no one. Send me Harry Potter, and the castle will not be harmed. Send me Harry Potter, and you can all live."
His soft charismatic voice echoed out across the grounds, his eyes on the looming castle in front of them. Three more statues were taken down as Voldemort led his army across the bridge. He stopped when they were three quarters of the way there, his eyes on the front doors that were sealed shut as more stone warriors stood guard over the entrance.
Bellatrix stood on her toes, her eyes wide as she cackled with excitement. "Through the front doors, my Lord?"
"In a moment," Voldemort said. "I want to see if anyone is going to answer my demand with one of their own."
"Do you think that they'll send Potter out, my Lord?" Belladonna asked.
"No," Voldemort said. "I'm counting on them not doing so. No, they'll keep Potter hidden and in the meantime, we'll kill anyone who doesn't bow down. Potter is mine. We're not leaving until he's dead and this castle is under my control. Are we clear?"
Crouch squealed in excitement and clapped his hands. "I can't wait to get my hands on Potter's little redhead. Can I make him watch while I play with her?"
"No," Voldemort growled. "He'll be dead. But you can keep her for as long as you want."
Crouch giggled as two giants moved to stand in front of the front doors. The moment they touched the door, a blast of sound erupted from the castle. It was so loud and so sudden that it had all of them jumping in surprise. The sound was so thundering that it made the rubble of the decimated statues bounce on the cobblestone, echoing down from the tallest towers; the beat making the statues clench their fists as it sounded like it was coming from every direction.
A giant stone fist punched through the side of their army, knocking four of them to the ground. Greyback rolled, narrowly avoiding a second fist as two trolls swung their clubs towards the statue. Rossi and Belladonna sent a reducto hex at the warriors and they exploded at the same time. Rossi pulled Bellarosa to the ground, covering her with his body from the flying rocks and Belladonna snickered.
"So, Mantegna has balls after all."
The second rumble grew louder and Voldemort's eyes narrowed. Rossi exchanged a look with Bellarosa as he helped her to her feet as the beat of Muggle rock music floated towards them in response.
The first giant reached the doors of the castle a second time. Her attempt at breaching the front door sent the giant flying backwards, slamming into the side of the bridge so hard the stone crumpled and the giant went over the side, splashing into the Black Lake hard enough to send a tidal wave over the side of the bridge as the doors yelled, "No!" at their attempt at entry.
Then suddenly the rock music grew louder and Voldemort's eyes narrowed.
We're not gonna take it!
Oh no, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it, anymore!
"My Lord!" Crouch exclaimed, his eyes widening and his mouth dropping open in surprise. "Is this a joke?"
Voldemort's lips formed a sneer. "Move forward. If they don't let us in, we'll take it by force."
Voldemort waved his wand and giants and vampires began to march forward.
"Take the doors down."
The first hit of magic against the front doors of the castle made the music rise. The doors were sealed shut and every time someone attempted to pry them open, they were sent flying backwards with a burst of energy and the music increased in volume.
NO!
We're not gonna take it!
Oh no, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it, anymore!
Then red sparks flew up from the centre of the castle, exploding into fireworks so grand and so elaborate that it was impossible to look away. Rossi was unable to hide his snort when the lights danced together and formed a hand high into the sky above the castle, making a very rude hand gesture.
"The little shits are taunting us," Crouch declared, his eyes dancing. "I can't wait to show them what belittling our master will get them."
Another firework exploded into the sky, flipping them off before more fireworks began to explode overhead in a multitude of colours and designs. Dragons, zouwus, thunderbirds, kelpies, huge phoenixes, and massive erumpents traipsed through the sky in lights so bright it blinded them. The castle doors finally gave way and the moment they collapsed inside of the Great Hall a resounding honking erupted from overhead.
Rossi grabbed Bellarosa's hand when she looked up towards the noise. He tightened his grip and as the honking grew closer, he tugged her over to the side of the bridge.
Bellarosa barely had time to scream before Rossi jumped over the side with her in his arms.
End Author's Notes:
Helpful hint on character reminders.
Venus De Milo — art professor at Hogwarts (original character)
Mary Raffigan — historian who took over Binns job (original character)
Gideon Birmingham — professor of Muggle Studies, International Magical Relations, and non-Magic studies (original character)
Raphael Ouellette — Canadian magizoologist (original character)
Reagan St Louis — Canadian magizoologist (original character)
Zhang — Chinese magizoologist friend of Zee's who works at New Zealand reserve (original character)
Abioye — African magizoologist friend of Zee's who works at New Zealand reserve (original character)
Bura Visnjic — Croatian magizoologist friend of Zee's who runs the New Zealand reserve (original character)
Princess Sapphira — princess of Merpeople in Greece off island of Lekfada, friend of Zee's (original character)
King Lir — King of the Merpeople of the Black Lake, friend of Dumbledore's
Professor Bathsheda Babbling — ancient Runes professor and language professor of international magical relations
Anya — one of the magizoologists Bura brings with her (original character)
Roberta — one of the magizoologists Bura brings with her (original character)
Salvator Savage — Auror of the DMLE (original first name)
Maverick Proudfoot — Auror of the DMLE (original first name)
Eric Baxter — Auror of the DMLE (original character)
Natalie Atwell — Auror of the DMLE (original character)
Kellan Cork — Fae of the Royal Guard who teaches archery in the defence club (original character)
Fiadh Tipperary — Fae of the Royal Guard who teaches sword fighting with two short swords in the defence club (original character)
Laoise Munster — Fae of the Royal Guard who teaches sword fighting in the defence club (original character)
Adrian Roberts — werewolf alpha of southwestern England (original character)
Hawk Roberts — son of Adrian, werewolf (original character)
Echo Simpson — werewolf alpha of northwestern England (original character)
Rune — werewolf alpha of northeastern England (original character)
Daimon Adams— werewolf alpha of southeastern England (original character)
Volk — werewolf alpha of the largest pack in Europe (original character)
Spells used:
Piertotum Locomotor = Animates statues, figurines, or suits of armour into doing one's bidding. This is part of the charm McGonagall uses in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Protego Totalum = Casts a shield charm over a designated area and nothing can pass through it except for Unforgivables.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics to Twisted Sister and I've had that exact moment in mind since I first introduced music into the story. I've been very excited to share it.
The final battle has finally arrived!
Thank you for reading and please review!