Thank you for the follows, favourite and review!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: The Last Battle

A full-scale battle had erupted in the atrium. Those wishing to stay neutral had either fled the scene or were cowering in corners. Martin and Emily were fighting back to back, duelling against Apollo and Natalie Ellis, formerly one of Martin's teammates in the Gryffindor Quidditch team and now a worker in the Department of Games and Sports. "Odd how things go!"Emily called over her shoulder.

"What do you mean?"her brother called back.

"Did you think we'd be doing this a year ago?"

"Can't say that I did! Didn't think we'd be doing it without James either!"

Emily swallowed hard as she deflected one of Natalie's jinxes. "We'll find Susannah, okay?"

Kingsley and Hagrid were guarding the group against the reinforcements of Aurors who had arrived on the scene. Kingsley was more than a match for any of them in a duel despite his advanced years and, while his magic was not up to much, Hagrid was proving as sturdy as he had done in another battle with Aurors, many years earlier.

Hermione was duelling against Lisa and Davina, her former sister-in-law and step-niece. Nearby, Luna was fighting George, while Rose and Lily fought against Percy. Angelina and Oliver zipped about around each other on brooms, firing off curses. Katie fired off a Stunning Spell at another flyer, realising only a second after she hit him that it was her son, Timothy. She cast a Cushioning Charm as he fell from his broom, lowering him gently to the floor. Moments later, she was dodging an attack from Alicia.

Neville, Ernie and Angela appeared in the Floo Network and stood for a moment, taking in the scene before them, friend against friend, familymembers against familymembers. "How did we end up with this?"Ernie asked wonderingly.

"Guess we'll just have to stop it,"Neville answered. A moment later, Teddy, Victoire and Lee were coming at them and they were on the defensive.

Harry was duelling Charlie in the centre of the chaos: The Head of the House of Potter versus the new Head of the House of Weasley. "We've got most of the country behind us, Harry,"Charlie said through gritted teeth. "You can't win."

"If we win here, we'll have the whole country flock to support us,"Harry replied. "Locomotor mortis!" The spell got under Charlie's guard, taking him down. "Entomorphis! Fernanculus!" Much as he would have preferred to just use simple Stunning Spells or Body-Bind, there were too many people around who could revive or free an opponent who had been disabled that simply. The only way to get someone out of the fight was to do enough non-fatal damage that it would require a lot of treatment and counter-spells.

A moment later, Ron, Scorpius, Parvati, Hugo, Marie, Padma and Anthony came charging in with the reinforcements. Ron looked around at the mess of his Ministry and let out a deep breath. "Looks like we've got a lot to do."

James led his makeshift DA team – Nymphadora, Gemini, Beverley, Bradley and Maxwell – through the same tunnels that Harry's party had used some weeks earlier. Eventually, they came to the spot alongside the lower Ministry levels. "Well this is the place,"James noted. Then he paused.

"What are you waiting for?"Bradley asked.

"If any of you want to turn back now, you can."

Gemini rolled her eyes. "Come on, Uncle James, you know us better than that."

"I'm serious. If we do this, we could end up in trouble with the Ministry. Probably the Order too. There's no shame in being afraid."

There was a long silence. "It looks like we're all with you,"Nymphadora said at last.

"Okay, then let's get this started. Bombarda!" The spell smashed a hole in the wall. James led the group through. Suddenly, two Aurors appeared.

"Stupefy!"

James, Nymphadora and Beverley cast the spell simultaneously, knocking both Aurors out. James sighed. "Looks like we've just joined their war. We're lucky most of them are dealing with the Order. Come on."

Hermione had found herself duelling Parvati and Padma. A Levitating Charm sent Padma crashing into a wall, knocking her out. She turned back to Parvati, who stood wand ready. "You really want to do this on your own?"Hermione asked.

Parvati stared at her defiantly. "I'm sure I don't stand a chance against the greatest witch of our generation. But if you're after Ron, then you have to get through me."

Hermione nodded and they fought again.

Rose dashed past where Marie and Melissa were duelling and found herself facing Hugo. She sighed. "Are we actually going to do this?"

"Are you going to stand down?"Hugo replied.

"No."

"Then I guess we're going to fight." And with that, brother and sister started duelling each other.

Neville took down Li with a Jelly-Brain Jinx and turned towards the next potential opponent. It was Luna. They stood facing each other, wands ready…then Neville pointed his wand upwards. Luna did likewise. "Should we get out of here?"he asked.

Luna nodded. "I think that might be a good idea." She took his hand and they walked away from the battle.

Ron put Teddy in a Full Body-Bind Curse then looked over to where Harry was taking down Anthony. "HARRY!"he shouted.

Harry looked up at the Minister's shout and locked eyes with him. Then they both rushed headlong through the other combatants, ready to fight.

Dumbledore's Army raced towards the detention area. Seamus and Hannah were on guard but the sight of a group of school children and their teacher was unexpected enough to give them pause. "James?"Seamus asked. "What are you doing here?"

His answer was a barrage of Stunning Spells. "Call it a school outing,"James suggested, before gesturing to a door. "The Purification Device is in there."

"James?"came a voice from another cell. There, peering through the bars, was Owen. Susannah and Gabrielle were with him. "Get us out of here!"

James turned back to the children. "Get the Device." Then he went to the cell window. "I'm sorry, Owen, but if I free you then I'm taking the Order's side over the Ministry's. I have to stay neutral."

The five children reappeared, levitating the Purification Device between them. Susannah spotted her nephew among them. "Bradley?"

Bradley looked at her. "I'm sorry, Aunt Susannah, but Professor Potter's got a plan to end this. If it works, you'll be all right. But we can't help you now."