Chapter 23
Minerva McGonagall was captivated by the duel occurring between Severus Snape and the Dark Lord Voldemort. She couldn't bring herself to turn away; it was her responsibility to bear witness. Over the course of the fight, Minerva failed to notice Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bill, Fleur and Molly Weasley,Septima Vector, and Hestia Jones rallying behind her in support of Severus Snape.
Directly across from them, Gibbon, and Antonin Dolohov, theLestrange brothers, Augustus Rookwood, Walden Mcnair, and Fenrir Greyback watched their master fight, awed by his power and ability. The group had long-since learned that it was unwise to displease their master. So instead of continuing the battle that they had fought prior to Voldemort's arrival the group waited for Voldemort to defeat the traitor so he could personally deal with those who would stand between him and his goals.
Severus' rough prosthetic was better than nothing, but only just. He had realized that there would be much at stake when he challenged the Dark Lord. If the only thing that he lost during the duel was his left leg then he would count himself fortunate. He could not afford to spend too much time contemplating his mortality. Voldemort could sense weakness and would strike with unmatched ferocity in order to make sure that his victim did not escape. Severus' magic was all that kept him from collapsing on the spot and succumbing to the pain of losing his leg. He would have to put everything into his next attack and hope that it was enough; if it wasn't…
Severus Snape had been placed in Slytherin for a reason; the man was one of the most cunning individuals to ever walk through the halls of Hogwarts. Instead of unleashing the remainder of his magic in a frontal attack that someone as powerful and experienced as Voldemort was sure to negate he would lay a trap to ensnare his opponent. Severus used a wandless Diffindo spell to open a small cut on the pointer finger of his wand arm. He stepped out from behind the cover that he had found and resumed his Sectumsempra barrage against Voldemort.
Voldemort had experienced satisfaction when he heard Severus cry out in pain after he had unleashed his banishing spell. Severus must have been injured, that would make this battle that much more enjoyable. Voldemort peered over his cover to see Severus fling himself behind another bit of rubble. Something had appeared to be off in Severus' gait so Voldemort assumed that his opponent's leg must have been injured. Relishing in the success of his tactic, Voldemort prepared to cast another banishing spell in a second attempt to crush the man. However, he was forced to duck back behind his cover when Severus sent a Sectumsempra slash intended to behead the Dark Lord.
Severus had to be very precise in his spell casting otherwise his plan would fail and he would die in vain. Each incredibly precise slash of his wand left a trail of blood on the floor in front of him. Although it had been many years since Severus had studied Runic magic he could never forget the symbol for destruction. His first slash painted the roof of the symbol, a lightning bolt reminiscent of Harry Potter's famed curse scar was nestled under the left half of the initial line. For the final symbol Severus briefly released the magic before recalling it and slashing in a downward motion before curling the tail up to form a "j" that faced the wrong direction. Once more Severus released the magic before he positioned his wand to make the final stroke needed to complete the rune. He cast his curse in an upward diagonal slash starting at the middle of the "j" character and running parallel to the top line of the lightning bolt. With his trap laid Severus dispersed the magic required to activate the rune. The Rune was activated, but Snape was almost drained completely of his remaining power.
After several seconds Voldemort was sure that he had an opening. He stood to his full height and yelled "Crucio," to send the Cruciatus curse at his exhausted opponent. Voldemort was pleased that his spell found its mark. Snape could no longer hold his composure and, consequently, crumpled to the ground. A malevolent grin formed on Voldemort's face when the spell connected.
Severus Snape writhed under the pain caused by Voldemort's Cruciatus spell. As pain wracked his body his mind rushed through scenes of his life. He knew that the dark Lord was closing in for the kill and sought comfort in all that he was able to accomplish. By twitching and moaning on the floor Severus lured the Dark Lord into a state of over-confidence. He heard the shuffling sound of a robed wizard approaching him and knew that only seconds remained until his Runic trap would be activated by the magic of the Dark Lord; the Dark Lord's magic would fuel the destruction spell and hopefully result in the Dark Lord's downfall.
Voldemort continued advancing upon the man that dared to betray him. The duel could not have ended in any other way, Voldemort would not be denied. He raised his wand as he advanced upon the fallen form of Severus Snape. He was twenty feet away, fifteen feet away, ten feet away. When the Dark Lord was five feet away there was a gasping sound. The Dark Lord began the incantation that would allow him to cast the killing curse but was interrupted. The Great Hall erupted in a fiery explosion that blew the spectators off of their feet and caused them to lose sight of the two combatants.
Harry, Hermione, Neville, Ron, Fred, George, Katie, Alicia, Luna, Cho, Ernie, Susan, and Hannah had just reached the steps when the castle was rocked by an explosion of epic proportions.
"What was that," cried Hannah.
"It's Him," answered Harry. "Eventually, he had to join the battle. Let's just hope that everyone downstairs is alright."
"If it's him should we really be running toward the explosion," Alicia asked earnestly.
"We don't have a choice," answered Harry.
"If we don't face him now then he will be able to regroup and will never stop hunting us," continued Hermione as she shared a glance with Harry.
"Weasley Wizarding Warriors, at your service," Fred and George said at once.
"House Longbottom stands by House Potter," Neville boldly added.
"We have spent the majority of the night fighting Death Eaters, now it's time to bring the boss down; final level," quipped Ernie. "Usually this is when we would find a bunch of power-ups that brought us within striking distance of the Bugger's power. Power-up's or not, I'm with you."
"Harry already received his power-up, isn't that right, Harry," Luna chirped.
"Er, I suppose I did," admitted Harry as he thought about the duel that had occurred in his mindscape.
"I'll stand by you, Harry," Ron said as he offered his hand.
Katie looked at Alicia before speaking for both of them. "It's because of him that Angelina is gone. Gryffindors fly together no matter what they're faced with." Alicia nodded but couldn't bring herself to speak.
"We all have our reasons, Harry," explained Cho. "I will stand against any who seek to gain power at the expense of others. Everyone deserves a chance regardless of their heritage."
"He killed my aunt personally," admitted a pained Susan. "House Bones stands with you."
"I'm not from an Ancient or Noble house, but Susan and her family have always treated me like family. As such, I stand by her in whatever decision she makes. I'm with you also Harry."
"The Sorting Hat would be so proud of us. You saved me from him once, now it's time to return the favor," sang Luna
Hermione slipped her hand into Harry's hand before whispering in his ear, "Til death do us part."
Harry was amazed at the support that his friends were showing him. "Thanks everyone, it means the world to me. But, if you have any reservations about going into this battle then you should stay behind. Voldemort would undoubtedly kill all of you since it would allow him to hurt me."
"If the options are face Him together when we actually may stand a chance now or wait and give him the opportunity to hunt us down, alone, in the future then I think I speak for everyone when I say that we will take our chances here, with you," Hermione answered causing the rest of the group to voice their agreement.
Up on the sixth floor, another group of students also felt the tremors wrack the castle's foundation. After leaving the Room of requirement Ginny Weasley assembled the Creevey brothers, Nigel Wolpert, and Romilda Vane to act as the last line of defense before any Death Eaters could reach the towers where the non-Slytherin Students had been relocated. The group had wanted to play a more active role in the defense of the castle but the adults had told them, in no uncertain terms, that they were not to leave the sixth floor. The group had assumed that they would not be exposed to actual combat, this made Ginny pretty because she had experienced life-and-death battles against Death Eaters when she had went with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna to the Department of Mysteries.
On the other side of the floor the Patil twins, Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were carrying out the same mission. They had been animatedly hypothesizing on what could have been occurring on the floors below as they patrolled the corridor. The group had just turned their back on the staircase when they heard a thump. Seamus had fallen to the ground and was not moving. The other members of his group stopped to see what had caused him to fall and were all struck with jets of light before they fell to the floor.
Although the other members of her group were relatively relaxed, Ginny could not shake the feeling that something was off. How long had it been since the others had left to patrol the corridors that lead to the shifting stairway? Ginny did not know the answer, but found it odd that they had not yet returned. Instead of joining in the conjecture about what had been happening on the lower floors, she maintained her vigilance and watched the corridor for any indication that the others were returning. After several minutes of watching she begun to worry, it was possible that the older students had decided to disregard the words of their Head of House and go downstairs but that seemed unlikely.
Since Ginny was the only one focused on that section of the hallway, she was the first to notice the cloud of darkness that was making its way around the corridor and obscuring her view. This was what Ginny had been afraid of. "Everyone get behind cover, we have company!"
The others scrambled to follow Ginny's order but the spell fire had already begun. To Ginny's surprise she was not struck by a jet of green light. Instead, she felt her limbs snap to her sides as she fell, stiff, to the floor. She heard thuds behind her and could only assume that the others had been felled in a similar manner. Before she could contemplate more her world went black and she could feel herself being dragged toward the corridor that the darkness had come from. Her only consolation was that the others were also being moved in a similar manner. When they reached the shifting staircase the smoke dissipated and they found themselves being taken down the stairs as captives.
In the dungeons, Horace Slughorn had been tasked with keeping the Slytherins from interfering in the battle. It was a sad truth that the majority of the house of Slytherin would join the side of the Dark Lord if they were given the opportunity. The house was known for its cunning and scheming. Even though the majority of his army had been decimated, Voldemort represented ideas that many Pureblood parents respected from the safety of their own homes. Even if they would not declare for him publicly, they appreciated that someone had stepped up as a champion for the old ways.
The Pure Blood society had been on the decline for many years. The group could not accept that the same traditions that had gained them their wealth, power, and influence in the days of antiquity were now the source of the Pure Blood decay. Instead they blamed it on the "mudbloods" and the blood traitors. In their eyes, these groups were always looking for ways to steal what the Pure Blood fore-fathers had endeavored to create. They could not see the benefits of having a diversified society when that meant that they would have to rely on individual merit in order to advance instead of merely being born to the right family.
However, not all members of Slytherin house shared these beliefs. Those who disagreed may not have actively spoken out against them, in order to avoid persecution and being ostracized by others in their house, but neither did they advocate these ideas. Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis were two such people and they felt that they need to fight for what they believed in. They had hid behind masks for too long, tolerating and allowing much that they should have spoken out against. They believed that the Dark Lord would fall and wanted to earn a place in the new order. So they provoked a shouting match between the fifth and sixth year Slytherin males that drew professor Slughorn's attention away from the door before slipping out. They had heard the explosion and knew that they would find what they sought on the ground floor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
In the Great Hall, Hestia Jones and Kingsley Shacklebolt were the first to rise to their feet. In the wake of the explosion, all of the debris that had been strewn about to floor had been pushed against the remaining walls; the wall that the Death eaters had blasted when they made their entrance had collapsed completely, combining the Great hall with the castle's entrance hall. The gap that had separated the defenders of Hogwarts from the Death deaters had been widened considerably around the area that the explosion had originated. Severus Snape's body had disappeared completely, but Voldemort's remained splayed out on the floor, his skin riddled with burns and his robes smoking.
Slowly the other spectators began to regain consciousness. The only spectators who didn't rise were Septima Vector and Bill Weasley. Fleur did everything that she could think of to make her husband rise and resume his place by her side, but even her vela magic was not strong enough to bring Bill's soul back from the next great adventure. Molly had been paralyzed when she realized that another one of her boys had paid the ultimate price because of the war against Voldemort; her heart had felt more anguish than she thought humanly possible. The wind had been taken from her sails, she would willingly accept whatever fate had in store for her. Hearing of her brothers', Gideon and Fabien Prewitt, deaths during the first war against Voldemort had been awful. Never did she expect that she would be forced to bear witness to the deaths of her husband and two eldest sons.
On the other side of the gap, the Death Eaters were discussing among themselves what they should do. It was agreed that the Dark Lord was still alive because his mark still remained on their forearms. Although he appeared defeated if they left him in this state and he recovered then there would be no end to his wrath. Bolstered by their desire to avoid their master's ire, the Death Eaters resumed their battle against the defenders of Hogwarts. Minerva, Kingsley, Fleur and Hestia put up a valiant defense but were unable to prevent one of the Death Eaters from hitting an immobile Molly Weasley with the killing curse. The Death Eaters pressed their advantage and were pushing the defenders of Hogwarts back.
The Death eaters were certain that they would quickly overwhelm Hogwarts' resistance. In their haste to destroy their foes they left their backs exposed. This allowed two blonde girls dressed in black robes that were adorned with green the opportunity they needed to hit one of the seven Death Eaters with their combined Stunning spells. The Death Eaters had not been expecting any aid to come to their adversaries but had been through enough battles to fluidly adapt to the changing battle conditions. Forming a circle, the Death Eaters defended against the two groups who were closing in upon them. The Death Eaters managed to deftly maneuver themselves so that they were no longer being fired upon by two sides as they positioned themselves so that they were facing the entrance hall as they exchanged spells with their opponents. The battle raged for minutes with neither side being able to gain ground on the other.
Tracy and Daphne had spent much time training with their families so that they would not be caught off guard in the event of a duel. Due to their training they were holding their ground, but they were beginning to feel the effects of continuous spell casting. Though far from exhausted, the pair was becoming visibly winded; the only thing that kept them going was the knowledge that they had to live with the decision that they had made to stand against the Death Eaters. They would have to earn a spot in the new world because the world as they knew it had ended.
The battle raged until a voice rang out through the chaos. "Give up and leave. Your master has been defeated and you are out-numbered. There is nothing for you to gain by staying here."
Both groups shifted their attention to the direction from which the voice emanated. The Death Eaters were as distraught as the Hogwarts' defenders were relieved to see the speaker. Standing where the doorway to between the Great Hall and the entrance hall had been was none other than Harry Potter flanked by Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Ron, Fred and George Weasley, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang, Ernie McMillan, Susan Bones, and Hannah Abbot. The Death Eaters were seriously contemplating Harry's words when the sound of clapping cut through the tension in the room.
Voldemort had not expected Severus to be capable of such an advanced Runic attack given the condition that he was in when towards the end of the battle. Voldemort was irritated that Severus had been able hit him, even partially, with an attack of that magnitude. Given time, his wounds would heal but he would never be given another opportunity to make the whelp suffer. He would have to take his frustrations out on the Potter brat who had, so kindly, come to him. Clapping as he drew himself to his full height, Voldemort drew attention to himself before speaking. "Fine speech, dear Harry. I dare say that the Old Fool would be very proud that you have not tried to hide from your destiny; your destiny to die at my hands! And you were even so hospitable as to bring me targets as a housewarming gift." As Voldemort finished speaking, he channeled all the rage that he had at the Potter brat and the traitor to unleash a massive Relámpago curse that knocked all of those behind Potter off their feet into the entrance hall.
AN: The symbol that I describe Snape drawing is the Kanji death symbol. If you want to see it in detail a Google Image search is what I did.
AN2: The next chapter will be the battle between Harry and Voldemort. I intend to wrap it up in one chapter if at all possible; I would really like to have 50 reviews before I post the final battle. Please help me get to that point so I'm not tempted to postpone the update.