PART THREE
THE FINAL BATTLE FOR HOGWARTS
Enter the Dragons
THUD!
The boulder crashed into the ground a scant ten feet from the outer wall of the castle. It had been flung with deadly accuracy by a giant, one of the hundreds that massed just outside the gates of Hogwarts. The dark army had lost a few of their number crossing the Black Lake, for Arista had requested the aid of the mermaid Water Mistress Amlioranee, whose life she had saved two years ago when she'd first come to Hogwarts. That act had created a kind of life debt between them, and the Water Mistress had promised Arista that if ever she needed aid from the merpeople, she had but to ask. She had done so, a week past, when the dark army had first been sighted.
The Water Mistress had responded with her own brand of magic, making the lake foam with huge waves even though there was no stormy weather, and when the dark wizards and their allies had attempted to cross, she'd conjured huge waterspouts and whirlpools. The great black squid had also been commanded to attack any who set foot in the lake, and it proved a most formidable opponent.
At least until the Death Eaters, under the command of Lucius Malfoy, had grown tired of losing men and creatures to the surging black waters, and had turned the lake into a sheet of ice about a foot thick, neatly trapping the Water Mistress and her allies beneath the surface.
Eventually, Amlioranee and her people might be able to counteract the dark spellcasting, but the ice sheet held long enough for a company of giants and werewolves under the command of Fenrir Greyback to advance across the ice to the castle gates. Several more werewolves had fallen due to Professor Sprout's carnivorous plants, but even they were not enough to halt the giants, who immediately began throwing boulders at the walls.
The castle had been built to withstand such an assault for a time. Severus had stationed patrols of seventh and sixth years skilled in repelling missiles along the Astronomy tower and the top of the bridges and walls, using Reducto charms and Excelsior charms to render the giants' rocks harmless.
"Incoming!" Kit shouted, and the SR's readied their wands and Arista linked them with her empathy. They were atop the Astronomy Tower, a coveted position, because they could see for miles around.
Four huge boulders streaked towards the wall, flung by four giant hands.
"Reducto!" they all shouted and five beams of green light shot out from their wands, combining into one huge beam that reduced the boulders to mere pebbles in an instant.
"Good job!" Arista praised, and her friends all exchanged grins.
They had been stationed here because of their unique skills with combination magic, and it was soon becoming apparent that their special bond was going to prove invaluable to the defense of the school. Using combination magic, they could stop twice and three times the amount of rocks the giants hurled and twice they had managed to cast Ricochet and turn the boulders back on the giants, critically injuring at least two of them and several werewolves and night hags as well.
They had cast an extended version of Excelsior that stretched across half of the battlements, shielding their fellow students from the worst of the spells the dark wizards cast at them. The castle had been under siege for a week now, and most of the students had grown accustomed to the pounding and the shaking.
Classes had been cancelled since the bulk of the dark army had come into view, and now those students willing to fight for their school had all been pressed into service by Snape. There had been a school meeting in the Great Hall once the army of darkness had been sighted, with Headmistress McGonagall requesting that all the students in attendance remain loyal to their school and help to defend it.
She and Professor Snape had stood on the platform in front of the staff table and requested that all students willing to swear an oath of loyalty to defend their school come up and stand on the right of the dais. Those who felt they could not swear due to a conflict of interest should stand to the left. Professor Snape would record the names of those remaining loyal to Hogwarts on a piece of parchment, and Minerva would note the names of those unwilling to swear loyalty on another.
All of the Gryffindors immediately pledged their loyalty to the school. So too did the majority of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Then it was the Slytherins turn. Snape eyed the students of his House with a reproving glare. Everyone waited with baited breath.
Then Drake stood up and crossed over to stand with Arista and the rest of the SR's. He cast a scathing look over at the rest of his fellow Housemates. "What's wrong with all of you?" he cried angrily. "Hogwarts is your school, are you going to stand by and let scum and monsters tear it down, or are you going to fight back? Are you cowards or king snakes?"
For a long moment none of the Slytherins moved.
Then a tall blond haired boy stepped forward. It was James Hathaway.
"Lockwood's right. I'm not gonna stand by and let monsters and slimeballs ruin everything we've built here. I'm for Hogwarts! Now who's with me?"
He crossed the room to stand next to Drake, who wore an expression of utter shock.
Over half the Slytherins rose and followed him, thrusting their fists in the air and screaming, "Hogwarts forever! Down with bloody Voldy!"
Brittany Marsh remained on the left hand side of the room, hesitating. It was well-known that her father had cast his lot with the new regime to save his own skin, taking a handsome bribe from Voldemort. Now the former queen bee of the school bit her lip and wavered, torn between loyalty to her family and loyalty to her school and her boyfriend.
"C'mon, Brit!" Hathaway called. "What are you waiting for, girl? Get your rich behind over here."
"But Jim . . ." she protested. "My father . . ."
"Do what's right for once, Marsh!" Drake said suddenly. "You always take the easy way out. Think for yourself, why don't you? You gonna let your daddy tell you what to do all your life, or are you gonna grow up and make up your own mind for once?"
"You saying I can't make up my own mind, Lockwood?" Brittany yelled, flushing scarlet.
"That's exactly what I'm saying, Marsh Maid!" Drake taunted. "You just do as you're told, like a puppet on a string."
"Like hell I do!"
"Then why are you still over there with all those rejects, Brit?" Hathaway shouted. "Is Lockwood right after all?"
"No!" Brittany cried, then walked over to stand next to Hathaway. "To the bloody hell with my father. I'm nobody's puppet, Lockwood!"
"Guess not," Drake admitted grudgingly, giving her a nod of approval.
Several other members of Brittany's little court circle, who'd also been sitting on the fence, now came over to stand with their friends, pledging their loyalty as well.
A quarter of Slytherin House remained opposed to McGonagall's decree, as well as a few from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw who had parents or siblings who were pureblood supporters of Voldemort. Among them were Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle.
Their fellow schoolmates glared at them angrily.
Minerva noted down all those who refused to remain loyal to Hogwarts, then announced that as a result of their decision, those students had now declared themselves public enemies and were under house arrest, forbidden to leave their common rooms.
"You can't do that to us!" Malfoy cried, his gray eyes blazing. "It's bloody unfair!"
"So is your refusal to swear loyalty to this institution, Mr. Malfoy," Minerva returned crisply, glaring at him. "Hogwarts has fed and sheltered you for years and nurtured your growing magical talents and this is how you repay her?"
Malfoy sneered. "My father's thrown more money into this pile of rocks than you'll ever see in a lifetime, you dried up old harpy. And it was all wasted on idiots and Mudbloods. Just wait until he comes here, then you'll see what it means to be a wizard, Professor! He won't let Mudblood lovers and cripples run this school into the ground like you have."
Several of the students gasped at Malfoy's rudeness and utter disregard for Minerva's authority.
Minerva drew herself up to her full height and scowled down at the sneering sixteen-year-old. "Is that your final word, Mr. Malfoy?"
"It is . . .Professor," and the way he said her title was pure mockery.
"Keep a civil tongue in your head when you speak to the Headmistress, Malfoy!" Severus growled, incensed by the boy's lack of respect.
"Why should I . . .sir?" Malfoy demanded scornfully, looking at the Defense Master's cane pointedly.
Severus flashed him a look that could have melted stone. "Because, Malfoy, as your Head of House, I say you will."
Malfoy cringed slightly. Then he drew himself up and looked Snape in the eye. "Sorry, but I don't take orders from Muggle supporters and cripples . . .sir."
"Why you filthy . . .!" Arista cried, and would have lunged across the room to attack Malfoy if Drake hadn't held her back.
Mel latched onto Trish as well, who looked like she wanted to curse the sneering boy into smithereens.
"Excuse me?" Severus said in a deadly soft tone. "But did you just call me a cripple, Malfoy?"
He stepped off the dais and walked over to confront the stiff-necked Malfoy eye-to-eye. "Would you care to repeat that, boy?"
Malfoy stepped back a pace. Then he said in a jeering tone, "Once you were someone I respected, Severus Snape, but all you are now is a useless old cripple, good for nothing but target practice! When the Dark Lord comes here, you'll die on your knees like a coward, old man!"
"Oh, really?" Severus arched an eyebrow. "On the contrary, boy, it's you who's good for target practice." Then he drew back his hand and slapped Malfoy hard across the face, knocking the arrogant boy to his knees. "Now that's something your father ought've done a long time ago."
Malfoy put a hand to his stinging face, whimpering, "You hit me!"
"Get up, Malfoy!" Snape ordered coldly. "Lucius Malfoy doesn't run this school yet, and as long as Professor McGonagall is Deputy Headmistress here, you will address her with respect, am I understood? Well? Answer me!"
"Yes . . .sir," Malfoy whined, tears glistening in his eyes, all the bravado knocked out of him.
"Good. Now get your sorry backside down to the common room and stay there like she told you. Move!" he roared, and Malfoy sprang to his feet and bolted, running like a hare being chased by a fox. Severus looked at the rest of the students gathered on the left side. "That goes for the rest of you too!"
They didn't need to be told twice. All of them departed the Great Hall at the same time. It was practically a stampede. No one was sorry to see them go.
Severus rejoined Minerva on the dais. The Headmistress looked at the Potions Master askance, but did not reprimand him for his unorthodox behavior. Instead she informed the rest of the students that their classes were cancelled for the time being, and they should return to their Houses, where they could rest and anyone who wanted to could volunteer for defense duty with Professor Snape.
"Simply give your name to your prefects and they will submit them to Professor Snape, who will then assign you a specific area and duty to perform. Schedules of patrols and such will be posted here, to be amended as necessary. I thank you all for your unwavering support and bid you goodnight. Dismissed."
A roar of approval and applause greeted that statement.
"Down with Voldy! Hogwarts rules!"
"McGonagall all the way!" cheered the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
"Way to go, Snape!" yelled the SR's. "Kick Malfoy's ass, the sniveling little coward!"
"That's telling him, sir!" cried Hathaway and several of his supporters. "Now go and kick his dad's arse too! Malfoy stinks!"
It was a few moments before the teachers managed to get the students calmed down enough to leave the Hall in an orderly fashion, and Severus had to issue strict orders to some of his more rowdy House members to leave Draco alone, lest murder be committed.
"Can we rough him up just a little, sir?" pleaded Hathaway. "Just break a few fingers and knock out half the teeth in his head?"
"Break his kneecaps!" someone else shouted.
But Severus remained firm. "Malfoy is not to be touched. Anyone who breaks that rule will deal with me." And he fixed them with his sternest glower. "Now, go back to the common room, all of you."
They all began to file out of the hall, whispering among themselves.
Minerva turned to her colleague and said quietly, "Thank you, Severus."
"You're welcome, Minerva. I've been wanting to do that for years."
"So have I," she admitted with a wicked smile.
All of that had occurred over a week before. In order to ensure that none of the students who remained loyal to Voldemort caused trouble, Severus had recommended that Minerva confiscate their wands. She had done so, keeping them locked up in the curio cabinet in the Headmistress' office. Then she turned to working with the staff on preparing the school defenses.
No student was allowed outside the castle at night, for that was when Hagrid's Fluffy and several hippogriffs and manticores were set loose. They would attack anything that looked like a portable meal, and the manticores—creatures with the body of a lion, the head of a man, tail of a scorpion, and the wings of a bat—were very partial to human flesh. Hagrid had managed to snare five of them, and only he could control the dangerous creatures.
"Sure wish I had Norbert back, though," he lamented one night to Professor Snape and Flitwick. "That'd put a proper scare into those wicked Death Eaters, so it would!"
"Probably, but the Norwegian Ridgeback would also turn on us, they can't be trusted, so it's best he's gone," Severus pointed out, much to Hagrid's dismay.
All students were required to walk about in pairs, and the prefects patrolled in groups of threes, just in case an enemy managed to infiltrate the castle. All of the castle portraits had been asked to be alert and sound an alarm if they saw anything unusual. Severus still held sessions in the mornings for all those students wishing to patrol the upper battlements of the castle. Arista and the SR's attended those meetings faithfully, and Severus made them Captains of the patrol squads, which were composed of groups of six, and were mainly those students who were skilled in Defense magics. They patrolled in shifts of three hours each and wore special whistles about their necks, to summon help if needed.
Mel had offered to summon up as many ghosts as she could to help defend Hogwarts, but Severus had told her to wait. "Not just yet, Seton. We don't want to reveal our hand too soon, so we'll keep you in reserve. This is just the first wave, we'll need your specters later on, when the vampires and ghouls attack. Wait, ghostwalker."
So Mel returned to casting combination magic with the other SR's.
That evening, they had managed to deflect twenty more boulders and large pieces of rock thrown by the giants and trolls. "You'd think they'd quit throwing the stuff at us already!" Kit panted in disgusted, squinting out over the grounds to the large mass of giants gathered by the entrance to the school grounds. "It's not working."
"Giants are nothing if not stubborn," Drake stated. "And who knows, some of them could get lucky."
"Some of them did," Mel pointed out, indicating sections of the wall that were cracked and broken, sections that had been hastily mended with Excelsior.
Arista's gaze was drawn to an odd black speck in the sky to the east. "What's that?" she pointed to it. "Drake, can you use your dragonsight amulet to see?"
"No problem," Drake pulled out the bronze dragonscale amulet he'd been given as a reward for defeating the dragonslayers last summer and rubbed it with a finger. "Dragoneyes."
The magic in the scale flared, and suddenly Drake's eyes were no longer those of a boy but of a bronze dragon. He turned to look in the direction Arista was pointing.
His fingers clenched into white knuckled fists on his wand and he swore. "Bloody hell, Arista! It's a whole wing of wyverns. And they're carrying rocks and stuff in their talons."
Arista paled. "Damn! I was afraid of this. It's an airborne assault."
"What do we do?" Mel cried.
"Trish, call Dad on your spellophone and tell him what's going on," Arista ordered. "Drake, can you give me numbers?"
"Uh, yeah, Hang on." He peered hard at the black dot, which was growing larger by the minute. "Ten . . .twelve . . .eighteen, Arista! They've got eighteen bloody wyverns attacking us!"
Trish had taken out her spellophone disk and now she spoke into it, "Severus, we've got a really big problem over here!"
Snape's face rose out of the image gel. "What's the matter, Trish?"
"They're uh sending about eighteen wyverns at us with rocks and things, sir! What do we do? I don't think we can stop that many."
"Eighteen wyverns? Goddamn it, how do you know that?"
"Drake's using his dragoneye pendant, sir!"
Snape snarled something under his breath. "All right. Here's what I want you to do. Use your combination magic to cast a Sunburst charm, one concentrated pulse of light right across their path. Wyverns hate bright light, and it might delay them a little. Afterwards, you get down from there and come back inside the main part of the school. The Astronomy Tower's not meant to withstand twenty tons of rocks dropped by wyverns. Are you clear on that, Tricia?"
"Yes, sir. Trish out." She closed the disk. "Okay guys, you heard him. One Sunburst and then we're outta here."
"Right," Arista said, linking them all once again. "On three. One. Two. Three. Magnus illuminus!"
Orange sparks shot out from their wands, combining into one great pulse of blinding light that flashed across the sky, illuminating the dusk as though it were noon.
They could hear the screams of the wyverns even at a distance.
"Guess they sure didn't like that!" Kit cheered.
"Drake, what are they doing?" Mel asked.
"Half a minute, I need to let my eyes adjust to the light," he muttered, but luckily bronze dragons loved sunlight and their eyes had no problem dealing with it. He blinked twice and then he could see perfectly well. "They're veering off to the left, away from the school. Some of them are shaking their heads and some are stopped. Ha! One just slammed into another one and dropped all the rocks they were carrying."
Mel and Arista let out a yell.
"But the rest are still coming." Drake reported with a sigh. "Good as that pulse was, it's only delayed them."
"Should we try it again?" Kit asked.
"No, Severus said only once," Trish reminded them. "Now we'd better clear out of here like he told us. Before they bring the Tower down on our heads."
Arista fingered her two dragonscale pendants thoughtfully. "I wish there were some way we could mount an aerial assault of our own. I can transform into a dragon for an hour or two, but it's not enough. Even in Dragonshape, I'm no match for eighteen wyverns."
"Don't even think about it," Drake ordered, eyeing Arista sternly. "Severus would have your hide if you pulled that kind of stupid stunt again. Once was enough."
"I wasn't going to, Lockwood, so quit worrying," she returned impishly. "I'm not suicidal, you know. Come on, let's go." She began to make her way down the stairs.
The others quickly followed.
"If only we had Fireflash and Sunstrike here," Drake sighed wistfully. "They'd nail those wyverns like nobody's business."
"Tell me about it," Arista said regretfully. "If we had a few bronze dragons over here . . ." She halted so suddenly Drake banged into her. "Wait a minute! Why can't we have them here . . .?"
"Uh, cause they're like an ocean away in America?" Kit reminded her. "Remember, Snape?"
"An ocean's nothing to a bronze dragon," Arista waved a hand dismissively. She fingered the second dragonscale pendant. "I'm an idiot! Why didn't I think of this before?" She turned to Drake. "Drake, we've never used the other side of the scale. The one that let's us call on them for help."
Drake's eyes lit with instant comprehension. "Holy God, you're right! Sardonyx said they owe us a lifedebt. What if we call it in now?"
"What are you two babbling about?" Mel asked.
"It's worth a shot," Arista agreed. She turned her second dragonscale pendant around until the rune for summoning faced outward. Then she rubbed it gently and called, "Sardonyx! Can you hear me? It's Healer Arista Snape."
Beside her Drake did the same with his amulet, calling Fireflash.
For several moments nothing happened.
Then the scales blazed with a soft amber light and turned transparent. Suddenly Sardonyx's head appeared in the center of Arista's scale. "You called, Healer Snape? How may I assist you, Dragonfriend?"
"Um, well, our school's under attack by a wing of wyverns and we could really use your help," Arista told him.
Next to her Drake was talking to Fireflash. "What d'you mean, you've been under attack for weeks?" the younger bronze dragon was growling. "A dark army shows up on your doorstep and you don't think to ask us for help? What was Sev thinking?"
"I don't know, why don't you ask him?" Drake answered.
"I will, as soon as I can get a couple of my cousins and such together. Tell Sev to sit tight, the cavalry's on its way. We'll take those sneaky carrion eaters down, just you wait!"
"Thanks, Flash!" Then Drake's scale went dark.
Sardonyx listened gravely to Arista for several moments, then said, "As always, Healer Snape, we will assist you in any way we can. Your enemies are our enemies, child. I shall call a Council Meeting immediately and as soon as we have gathered enough volunteers from my Brightwings clan and the Silver Talons, we shall fly. Expect us by the next dawn. Good luck to you, Healer Snape!"
Then he too was gone.
Drake and Arista grinned and gave each other a high five. "Let's see how Lucius and Voldy handle this!" Drake said.
"C'mon, let's go and tell Dad about our new secret weapons," Arista said eagerly and they practically flew down the stairs.
* * * * * *
Professor Snape was a little miffed at them when they told him about summoning the bronzes to help them, but even he couldn't deny that having the dragons there would help them immensely. "Next time, however, ask before you do something like that," he lectured sternly. Arista and Drake hung their heads. "I'm the Defense Master here, not you two, and as such the decisions regarding allies should be made with my consent, is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the two chorused.
"Very well. I trust you won't repeat that mistake again," he sighed. "When did Fireflash say they would arrive, Drake?"
"Uh, he wasn't very specific about time, sir, but my best guess would be tomorrow morning, probably."
Headmistress McGonagall was startled. "But how can they get here that fast? It's over five hundred miles away!"
"Nothing flies faster than a bronze dragon on a mission, Minerva," Severus answered. "They're the fastest things with wings on the planet."
Arista nodded in agreement, though she knew as well as her father that the bronze dragons would most likely not be flying all that way at all. If they did, they'd be useless in combat for a day, and their advantage would be lost. No, the bronzes would use the portals instead, which enabled a dragon and his allies to jump from place to place instantaneously, rather like a Port Key. But the portals were a carefully guarded secret, and never to be revealed to outsiders, so Severus, Arista, and Drake never spoke of them in mixed company.
"I see. Well, however they get here, I'm just grateful for their assistance," Minerva said. "I'm amazed they even agreed to help us, considering the terrible history between their kind and ours."
"Well, they pledged to help us if we ever asked for it, because we performed a valuable service for them one summer," Severus explained. "We tracked down and defeated a group of dragonslayers that was slaughtering bronzes, they wanted to bring back the Dragonslayer Guild over in America, and not so incidentally, drum up support for Voldemort too."
"But we put paid to that scheme," Drake said. "And in return Sardonyx, the leader of the Dragon Council, gave us these dragonscale amulets and the right to summon help from them if we ever needed it. Which we definitely do."
"I can't deny that, Mr. Lockwood," said Minerva. "Only next time, please inform us ahead of time, since we are in charge here, not you."
"Sorry, Professor. I guess we were, ah, a little too hasty," Drake apologized again. "We'll promise to ask next time."
Minerva sniffed, mollified by his sincere apology. "See that you do, young man. You may go."
The two students rose and departed her office, relieved to have gotten off so lightly, without any House points deducted or detentions.
The wyverns continued to bombard the castle all through the night, and no one got much sleep for the slamming of the rocks against the castle shields and the courtyard was terribly loud. Poor Comfrey was so frazzled, she spent the entire night hiding under the covers shivering in Arista's arms. The booming crashes and the wyverns' high-pitched shrieks when they dropped a load of rocks down grated on Scout's sensitive ears too. The magehound, normally a quiet dog, spent half the night whimpering and howling, until Severus gave the poor animal a Dreamless Sleep Potion.
Several of the students spent the night huddled beneath their covers too, and more than a few of them cried themselves to sleep, fearing the school was going to collapse on them. Madam Pomfrey was kept busy dispensing Calming Elixirs and Sleeping Drafts, and she nearly ran out of them, so Severus went down to the dungeons to brew up some more. He was assisted by Trish, who insisted if she weren't kept busy, the terrible noise would drive her mad, it was impossible to sleep through it.
The Potions Master was touched by his foster daughter's thoughtfulness and accepted her help gratefully. With Trish's assistance, he would be done in half the time. The two brewed companionably for several hours, though the girl winced every time a rock struck the ground, making the walls quiver slightly.
"Relax, Trish," Severus said gruffly. "We're perfectly safe down here, it would take at least two tons of rocks to even make a dent in the walls here. This place is spelled to withstand anything short of an earthquake."
"You sure about that, Severus?"
"Positive. This is the safest place in the castle as far as explosions go, it's why we have Potions down here." Severus reassured her, stirring a cauldron of Calming Elixir.
"I wish I was like Arista." Trish said enviously. "She fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow and hasn't woken up since."
"Arista can sleep through an earthquake," her father remarked, smiling wryly. "Like most teenagers I know."
"Except me," Trish sighed.
"Which is a good thing for me, since with your help I'll be done twice as quickly. Madam Pomfrey will be needing these drafts for more than just nerves before this is over, I'm afraid."
Trish nodded gravely, understanding what he was hinting at. For though no student had yet gotten hurt, she knew it was only a matter of time before someone was injured or worse. This was a war, and she was not naïve enough to assume they'd come off without casualties, not given whom they were up against. All she could do was pray that no one she cared about died, or herself either.
Snape's near brush with death had scared her terribly, to the point that she sometimes still had nightmares over it. Funny, how her foster father's mortality bothered her so much, even more so than her biological parents' supposed demise. She guessed it was because Severus was one of the few adults in her life who truly loved her for herself alone, and not for selfish reasons the way Glinda or Louis had. Their love had always come with conditions, and when Tricia had refused to meet them, it was withdrawn in a flash. Then too, neither Glinda nor Louis was in constant danger of being killed the way Snape was.
Thus, the time she spent here with Severus was doubly precious to her, more so because she so rarely got him all to herself at school. "Arista told me tonight that the dragons are coming to help us from America. I'm so glad, but do you really think that we'll ever win against Voldemort?" she asked in a small voice, then blushed and looked down at her cauldron, expecting to be scolded for even saying such a thing.
But Snape did not yell at her for the comment. Instead he answered, "I know it may seem like his army has the upper hand right now, but trust me, he's not as all-powerful as he seems. Remember, we defeated him once before, and we can do it again. And we will. As my late wife was fond of quoting, nothing is impossible with magic."
"You really believe that, don't you?"
"Yes. I'm alive today because Arista believed that, Trish. I had both feet on the Path of the Dead when she called me back. She didn't save me by her healing power alone, but by a combination of it and her belief that she could accomplish the impossible. Poppy Pomfrey had already given me up for dead, you see, but Arista refused to and that made all the difference."
"Were you, uh, afraid there, sir?"
"A little, yes," he admitted. "But I was in so much pain, it was a relief for me not to feel anything, so being there was quite relaxing actually. Then I saw Amelia there, and whatever fears I'd had about dying vanished. Death was nothing to fear if she was there waiting for me."
"So it's true then? All that stuff about the ones you love that have died being there on the Other Side?"
"Yes. You don't travel the starry road alone, Trish. Trust me on that. But that's all I know about it, since I was called back. Still, the single glimpse I had, of bright green hills and endless summer sunshine and Amelia standing there waiting for me, was enough to make me never fear death again."
"But what about all those stories about the Judgement of God?"
"I don't know if there is such a thing, perhaps that's just something the priests made up to frighten us into behaving better. Or perhaps not. In any case, I'm not going to worry too much about that now, since I've no intention of dying for a long time."
"I know, but what if . . ."
"Now don't start playing what if, Tricia Greenbough, that'll only make you insane with worry." He came and put an arm about her, and she leaned into his shoulder. "Take each day as it comes and quit trying to predict the future, okay?"
"Okay. I'll try."
"That's my girl." He patted her back comfortingly. "Now let's finish brewing these potions so we can both get some rest."
Another crash reverberated through the room and Trish shuddered.
"I'll never sleep with all that racket."
"I'll give you a Sleeping Draft if you want," Severus said.
"Yeah, that's a good idea, thanks." She hugged him for a long moment before stepping back and returning to her cauldron. The nervous butterflies in her stomach had vanished. Severus's reassurances had eased her mind considerably and she finished her work with a light heart, bid Severus goodnight, took the potion he gave her and returned to her room.
* * * * * *
The bombarding by the wyverns ceased somewhere around six o'clock in the morning, when the sun rose. Wyverns hated bright light, and they retreated to find a cave to hole up for the afternoon. But the siege did not let up, for now the giants advanced and began catapulting boulders at the walls.
Ginny was on patrol with Neville and Cho Chang on the east side of the castle ramparts, opposite them were Arista, Drake and Trish. Mel and Kit were down in the dining hall, eating breakfast, they'd been given patrol duty inside the castle that morning. Severus knew better than to order Drake to distance himself from Arista, especially now, with fighting going on. Therefore he almost always assigned them duties together, or with one of the other SR's, whose skill at combination magic was proving an invaluable asset.
Like that morning, when the three of them linked and erected an invisible barrier on the top of the wall, repelling four huge pieces of marble and granite flung at them. One thing the giants did not know how to do was to aim accurately. They could throw huge rocks quickly and over long distances, but they weren't the best marksmen, and half of their missiles missed the top of the wall, crashing instead into the ground just in front of it or striking the walls themselves. Chinks of stone were missing from some of the western wall, which had taken the worst of the pounding by giants and wyverns alike.
The Hogwarts defenders tried as best as they could to shore up the holes, but some imps and red caps managed to slip through. The sly critters were soon discovered by the hungry manticores however, and made a nice snack for them. It was the first time anyone had ever been grateful to a manticore for eating someone in the history of the school.
Five giants marched up with twenty feet of the ramparts, snarling curses in their harsh tongue, waving around gigantic clubs, swords, and axes. "What are they saying?" Neville wondered, looking up at Cho.
"How should I know, Neville? I don't speak giant," Cho said crossly.
"They're probably talking about how good we'd taste barbecued or something," Ginny said.
Cho made a face. "Ugh! Ginny, that's so disgusting!"
"Well, it's true. Some of those giants aren't satisfied with wild game, they prefer easier prey." Ginny informed them. "Man ala king. Boiled, roasted, baked in a pie."
"Ginny, please!" Cho cried. "You have such a sick sense of humor sometimes."
"Blame it on Fred and George," Ginny said, giving the other girl an apologetic grin.
"How can you make jokes at a time like this?" Neville groaned.
"Now's the best time, Longbottom. Better we die laughing than crying, right?"
"I'd rather we not die at all," Neville said with a shudder.
Suddenly, a bronze dot appeared in the sky overhead. Ginny squinted, lifting a hand to shade her eyes from the glare of the sun. "What's that?"
"Where?" Cho asked.
"Up there! In the sky!" Ginny pointed.
The dot suddenly resolved itself into a familiar shape with wings. Ginny gulped. "Oh God. It's a dragon! They've summoned up dragons."
"We're doomed!" Neville wailed, quivering in terror as the dragon swooped and dove, followed by several more.
"Stop that!" Cho ordered, smacking him on the back of the head. "We're not finished yet, Neville, now quit freaking out."
"I can't help it. Dragons! I wonder what kind they are?"
Cho squinted at the circle of bronze dragons and said, "I don't know what kind of dragon they are. I think it's a kind I've never seen before."
Then to their utter astonishment, the dragons, some of whom bore a rider on their backs, whirled away from the school and began attacking the giants and the wizards directing them.
"Huh?" Neville's eyes widened until it looked like they were going to fall out of his head.
"I don't believe it. They're attacking the giants and the Death Eaters," Ginny whooped.
The bronze streaks were now diving down and breathing huge gouts of flame on the catapults and the giants and anything else within range. Screams of terror and pain could be heard from the encampment on the other side of the lake and they could see tiny black cloaked figures scurrying here and there, trying to flee the unexpected attack.
Blue and red streaks flew from some of the dragon's backs, and the three wizards realized there were spellcasters atop the great beasts, to their astonishment.
"Ginny, there are wizards on those dragons!" Cho exclaimed. "But what dragon would ever permit a wizard to ride it?"
"A bronze dragon, Miss Chang," said Severus from behind them.
The three wizards jumped about a foot.
"Merlin, professor, you scared us!" Ginny gasped, grabbing at the top of the wall for support.
Professor Snape frowned. "Next time be more alert, Miss Weasley. I could have been an enemy."
"Yes, sir," she said softly, realizing that he was right, they should have posted a lookout. But Snape still moved silently, for all he was lame in that left leg. "We'll do better next time, sir. But I've never heard of a bronze dragon before. Where do they come from?"
"They're native to North America, the only sentient species in the world. They left here centuries ago because they were being hunted to extinction by the Dragonslayer Guild."
"So what are they doing here now, sir?" Neville asked cautiously.
"Returning a favor, Longbottom." He gazed out at the utter chaos that was now the dark encampment thanks to the lightning strike of the bronze dragons and smiled grimly. "That's giving them a taste of their own medicine, all right. Not even a giant is a match for a flight of bronzes."
"Look, sir, they're all running away!" Neville cheered.
"Running away with their tails between their legs, like whipped puppies," Cho added, smiling.
"For now, Miss Chang," Severus said, but there was a satisfied gleam in his dark eyes. "They'll be back again tonight. But we've walloped them pretty good this morning, thanks to my dragon allies."
The dragons were now pulling up and circling back towards the school.
"Let's go down to the courtyard and give them a proper welcome, shall we?" Severus gestured for them to follow him. Three more students wearing Slytherin colors came up onto the ramparts.
"Hathaway and company reporting for watch, sir," Hathaway said, and gave the Defense Master a salute.
Severus gave him a nod of approval. "Take your position, Mr. Hathaway."
The blond-haired boy stepped up onto the ramparts, wand out. He was accompanied by Flint and Pansy Parkinson, who spread out along the wall to cover the whole section. Hathaway turned to Pansy and ordered her to set a ward at their backs, and the girl did so.
Ginny scowled at herself, for she hated being shown up by Slytherins, but she said nothing as they went by, following their teacher down the stairs to the courtyard. At least she would get to see a bronze dragon before Parkinson did, so that was something. They were joined by Arista, Trish, and Drake, who had been relieved of their watch as well, and were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the bronzes.
"Did you see the way they took out those catapults, Dad?" Arista asked. "It was amazing."
"Burned them to ash in about two seconds flat," Drake said in approval, his gray eyes shining. "Wonder if Fireflash is with them?"
"He probably is. I don't think he would miss this," Severus said. "Or Sunstrike either."
"They've got names?" Neville stammered. "You're, uh, friends with them, sir?"
Snape whirled on him. "Longbottom, pay attention, for Godsake! Didn't you hear me say they're a sentient species? That means they're fully as intelligent as people, probably more than some people I could name," and he gave the red-face Neville a pointed glare. "They can talk and they have names just like we do and they can also do magic. And they, like me, don't tolerate disrespectful teenagers, so keep a civil tongue in your head when you address them."
"Yes, sir." Neville muttered, gulping sharply.
"Fireflash works with the Dark Hunters, Neville," Arista explained. "He was my mom's partner."
"And Sunstrike's on the Council of Dragons, she's a Hunter too," Drake put in. "We met them last summer."
"And I met Fireflash at Christmas," Trish said, recalling the beautiful dragon fondly.
"Wow! And here I thought I was lucky getting to meet Azalea Perkins of the Holyfield Harpies," said Cho, naming a professional Quidditch star. "Maybe next time I'll go to America on vacation."
If we survive this war, Severus thought, but did not say aloud. He waited patiently, his hands tucked in his sleeves, and in a few minutes a large bronze shape hovered above the courtyard.
The students gasped as Fireflash touched down neatly in the center of the courtyard, his great bronze body glittering in the early morning sun. Atop his back was a dragonsaddle, with Colin Flynn seated in it. The Dark Hunter was dressed in what Snape assumed was his official uniform, a set of black pants and a black shirt with the golden magehound crest on the pocket. A patch on the sleeve with a red border and two crossed swords in the center, denoting a combat master, was on his right sleeve. About his neck was a golden medallion with the emblem of a bronze dragon on it. About his waist was a black web belt with a pair of silvery cuffs and a slender rapier in a sheath along with some golden globes whose purpose Snape did not know.
He grinned when he caught sight of Severus and Arista, unbuckling his flight straps with the ease of long practice. "You can quit worrying, Sev, the cavalry's here," he called as he walked down the dragon's shoulder.
"The Seventh Dragons," Fireflash added, smirking wickedly.
"Thank you for taking care of our giant problem, Flash," Severus said, and bowed to him.
"Anytime, Potions Master."
"Actually, I'm the Defense Against the Dark Arts Master now," Severus informed them, accepting a friendly hug from Colin.
"Ha! So your Headmaster finally recognized your potential, huh?" Colin said, clapping the other man on the back. "Good for you, Sev. You deserve it."
"I wasn't expecting to see you here, Colin," said Snape.
"When Flash told us about Arista's request, I had to come. You know how I've been itching to test myself against these dark wizards of yours," the Hunter laughed. "Only thing is, Jenna made me promise not to get killed, or else she'd kick my ass."
"Can't have that, now can we, Flynn?" Severus chuckled.
"Hey, Arista, honey!" Colin smiled, catching sight of Arista. "How's my favorite apprentice?"
"Hi, Colin!" she said, hugging him. "I figured you wouldn't be able to miss this party. How're Jenna and Amelia?"
"Wonderful. Amy's walking now and she's talking too. I've got pictures of her in my pack that I'll show you later." He looked about at the other students. "Who are your friends?"
"Colin and Fireflash, these are my students," Snape said, and introduced them, one by one. All of them were greeted cordially by the dragon and the Hunter. Trish he introduced as his foster daughter as well as his student.
"I always said you needed another daughter, Sev." Colin chuckled. "Welcome to our extended family, Trish. In case Sev hasn't told you yet, he's my baby's godfather and I've come to think of him as an older brother, which sort of makes me your uncle. Are you confused yet?" Colin asked, with a twinkle in his eye.
Trish shook her head, smiling.
"No, but I am," Neville muttered.
"Just consider Hunter Flynn my annoying little brother, Longbottom." Snape said with a smirk.
"You forgot to add that I'm also the smarter and better looking brother."
"Make that my utterly arrogant, delusional, and very annoying little brother," Snape amended.
"Delusional? Me?"
"Definitely. I'll always be smarter, Colin."
"Maybe," the younger wizard argued.
"There is no maybe. It's a fact."
"Whatever you say, Sev," Colin agreed, then whispered to Trish and Arista behind his hand. "He's getting old, I'll humor him."
"I heard that, Flynn!" Severus growled, pretending to be angry. "You know one of the privileges of being an older brother is that I can kick your ass."
"That a threat or a promise, Sev?"
"It's a promise," the other returned. "So don't annoy me."
The two locked gazes and for one moment the students watching thought they meant to spring at each other.
Abruptly they lost their air of violence and grinned at each other, and Arista shook her head, for it had all been a bluff. Ginny rolled her eyes and mouthed to Arista behind their back, "Typical brothers!" and Arista snickered.
Severus turned back to Fireflash, who had been observing the byplay between the Hunter and the Defense Master with interest and amusement. "Flash, how many dragons are there besides you?"
"Of the Council, there are my parents, Sardonyx and Citrine, Sunstrike, and Tiger Eye. My sister Topaz is also here. We have representatives from all the dragon clans, Sev, for a total of twenty-four, a full flight. Oh, and in addition to Hunter Flynn, we also have Advocate Cheyenne Merrick and Colin's rookie partner, Flick Bowen."
"Got a new apprentice already, Colin?" Arista asked.
"Yeah, he's fresh out of the Academy, and they gave him to me because he was top of his class in combat magics. He could use a bit of discipline though, and some polishing before he's ready to go solo. This little adventure ought to do nicely for experience. He's a good kid, a little inclined to run off at the mouth sometimes, but I'm working on that little problem. He's an ace with martial arts, though, you'll see if he ever goes one on one with a necromancer."
"Can he take you, sir?"
"No, he's not quite in my class yet, Arista, but he's getting there. Someday he might even best me, but he's got a ways to go before then," Colin said. "But he's a good one to have in a fight, that's for sure."
Fireflash lifted his head. "Here he comes now, along with Topaz."
Topaz was a smaller dragon than her brother, and a darker bronze, her wings speckled with deep gold and crimson patterns. She had eyes the color of evergreens and a bubbly effervescent personality. "Well met, wizards!" she greeted. "That was fun, bowling for giants. We'll have to do some more tomorrow. I'm Topaz of the Brightwings clan, daughter of Sardonyx and Citrine. And this is my rider, Hunter Bowen." She indicated Flick with a toss of her head.
Flick slid down her shoulder, as graceful as a cat. He was dressed in a similar version of Colin's uniform, only without the patch, and in addition to the sword he also carried a pair of bo sticks. He moved lazily, like a relaxed panther, he was not tall, but he carried himself as if he were. He had short dark hair that stood up in spikes and piercing brown eyes. He was also quite handsome.
"Hunter Bowen, may I introduce Defense Master Severus Snape of Hogwarts," Colin said formally.
"How do you do sir?" Flick shook hands with Severus. "Pleased to meet you."
"Likewise." Severus returned the handshake. "Flick, is it? Your mother had unusual taste in names."
Flick chuckled. "Uh, that's not my real name. Flick's my callsign, at the Academy, we all had one to distinguish us during our training. My real name's Robert, but I prefer Flick, sir. There are plenty of Roberts in the world, but only one Flick."
"Flick it is," Severus nodded. "May I introduce my daughters, Arista and Trish, and my students?"
Another round of introductions was made, only this time Arista noted that Trish couldn't take her eyes off the young Mr. Bowen, who was around nineteen. So that's the way the wind blows, eh, Trish? I hope he's a better man than Glendower, sister mine.
Sardonyx landed just outside the gates with Dragon's Advocate Cheyenne Merrick on his back, who greeted Severus, Arista, and Drake like long lost friends. They had met the new Advocate when they were hunting down the dragonslayers in Washington State, she had helped them collar the Dragonmaster and his allies, for they had killed her father and tried to kill her as well.
Severus exchanged pleasantries with Sardonyx, telling the Dragon Lord how grateful he was for their support and explaining that he was going inside to introduce Colin, Cheyenne, and Flick to the Headmistress and the rest of the staff. He promised to return and introduce Sardonyx to Minerva and Sardonyx said he would be delighted to meet the Headmistress.
"What happened to your leg, Severus?" Colin asked as he followed the Defense Master inside the castle, noting the way Severus favored his left leg.
"That's a long story, and not one I want to discuss right at the moment," Snape answered softly. "I'll tell you later. For now, I'd like you to meet Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, she's acting in place of Headmaster Dumbledore, since he's away on a mission, and the rest of my colleagues."
Colin acquiesced, sensing instinctively that whatever had happened to injure his friend still haunted him, and thus did not press. When Severus was ready to talk, he would do so, and the Hunter knew better than to pump the other wizard for details. He had also noted the white lock of hair at Snape's temple and figured that too was probably a result of another injury.
Once introductions with Minerva had been made, and she had expressed her heartfelt gratitude at the three Hunters for coming to their aid along with the dragons, Severus showed them to their rooms, which were on the second floor of the castle. None of the Hunters had brought much in the way of personal possessions, they tended to travel light on a mission. Cheyenne opted for a quick bath and a short nap before breakfast, Severus left her in Arista's capable hands and escorted Flick and Colin back to the hall to eat something and to brief them some more on the army they faced.
The two Hunters drew curious stares and whispers from the students in the dining hall as they went by, but Severus did not bother with any more introductions, for Minerva had told him she would make a general announcement during dinner, telling the students about their new allies. Snape knew the news of the bronzes' arrival would be the hot gossip of the day and by suppertime the whole school would have heard everything.
"We don't know yet if this is the bulk of his army, or just a portion of it," Snape said in a low voice to Colin as the Hunter ate breakfast. "Though I'm inclined to think it's just a portion of it, since Voldemort himself hasn't shown himself yet. The one commanding this force is his second in command, Lucius Malfoy," his lips twisted into a bitter sneer as he said Lucius' name. "I have an old score to settle with him," Snape stated darkly. "His son Draco is also at this school, currently under house arrest in my House Common room."
"As a precaution?" Colin asked.
"Yes and no. I suppose we could hold him hostage, but that's not the way we do things here. No, he's being restricted because we can't trust him. He refused to swear loyalty to the school and the Headmistress, in fact he became abusive and disrespectful towards her when asked to give his oath. The arrogant little puppy thinks his father's going to come in here and grind all of us beneath his boots. He even dared to insult me, said I was nothing but a useless cripple since I've got this," he gestured to his left leg.
Colin's eyes flashed. "I hope you put him in his place good and proper, Sev."
Severus smiled thinly. "Oh, I did. I slapped him to the ground for his nasty mouth. Not something I'm usually permitted to do, or that I would want to do, but he pushed me too far and he deserved it, the spoiled brat. Minerva didn't say a word either."
"Good. The kid sounds like he could use a good thrashing, in my opinion," Colin said angrily. "I wouldn't trust him as far as I could spit. Did his father give you that?"
Snape shook his head. "No, that was done by Lucius' master, Lord Voldemort, otherwise known as Tom Riddle." He rubbed the leg gently, for it often ached in the mornings.
"Then you've seen this Voldemort character face to face?"
"Many times. You see, I was once a secret agent, Colin, spying on them for my Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who was head of the Order of the Phoenix, the resistance group dedicated to bringing down Voldemort once and for all. As a member of the Order, it was my duty to gather information and I was their top spy for over fifteen years. Until Voldemort discovered my treachery a little over a month ago, and decided to revenge himself upon me."
Colin listened quietly as Severus told him how he was tortured nearly to death, and only Arista's great Healing gift had saved him. "I always knew she was meant to do great things with that gift. And she has. Healing the Longbottoms, saving Fireflash and now you as well. She's almost a celebrity, I should think."
"Normally her expertise would be something to be proud of, and I am, but it also worries me. Her ability draws too much attention to her, the wrong sort of attention, if you take my meaning," Severus said. Colin nodded in understanding. "Before I was discovered, I was fending off some very pointed questions from Lucius about Arista and how strong her Healing talent actually was. I tried to downplay it as much as possible, but I think he became suspicious and that was what tipped off Voldemort that I wasn't all I appeared, for a true Death Eater would consider it a honor if a member of his family also joined the unholy cause, believe me. But I could never risk her that way, Colin, and so my masquerade was penetrated and the rest, as they say, was that."
"I wonder how old Voldy is taking it now that he realizes he hasn't killed you?" said Colin.
"He's probably taking his frustration out on some poor bugger, same as always. And plotting a way to finish what he started."
"He'll wait till hell freezes over then, Sev. You aren't dying on my watch, that much I can promise you. We Hunters protect our own."
"I can protect myself, Flynn," Severus said testily. "He hurt my leg, not my magic."
"Then I've got your back, Sev." Colin said easily.
Severus merely nodded, acknowledging Colin's offer silently. He would never say so, but the Hunter's words touched him profoundly, though he was unused to relying on others for assistance and would have been too proud to ask for any. A fact which Colin knew all too well, and therefore hadn't bothered with asking.
The Hunter removed a small photo holder from his pocket and held it out to Severus. "Here. Jenna sent this for you. This is Amy at her first birthday party."
In the photo, an adorable dark-haired baby with brilliant blue eyes laughed up at the camera. She was dressed in a sweet green and white dress with shiny black shoes and a bib that said I'm the #1 Boss Today. As Severus watched, the picture moved, and showed little Amy reaching for a cookie on the plate in front of her and cramming it into her mouth. The Defense Master chuckled. "She's got mischief incarnate written all over her, Colin. But who could resist that smile?"
"Not me. And she knows it too. Jenna says if I don't watch it, I'm going to become a pushover." Colin said ruefully.
"Not hardly, sir," Flick said from Colin's other side. "You never let me get away with anything."
"That's different," Severus replied. "You're his student, and a teacher is always hard on them. It's something else again when it comes to your children, especially your only daughter."
"Then you let Arista get away with murder, Sev?" Colin teased.
"No, at least I don't think I do. She'll tell you I don't let her get away with anything, but that's not true. There are plenty of times I've let certain behavior slide, because I didn't want her to think I was some kind tyrant. You'll be the same with Amy."
"Oh, but it's okay if your student thinks you're a tyrant, sir?" Flick asked grumpily.
"Of course it is," Severus returned crisply. "If you're worried about what your teacher's going to do to you for breaking rules, you won't be tempted into trying something stupid and maybe killing yourself. If there's one thing I've learned through sixteen years of teaching, it's that students will always do the thing they aren't supposed to, the more suicidal the better. The only way to curb such impulses is to make the consequences of disobedience as unpleasant as possible."
"Wouldn't it be easier if you just told your student don't do this because you might get killed?" Flick argued.
"Did that work with you, Mr. Bowen, when your mother told you not to fly too high on your broomstick, you might fall off?" Severus asked pointedly.
"Uh . . .no," Flick admitted.
"Of course not. You thought, well it might happen, not it's going to happen and did it anyway, and probably ended up with a broken arm or whatever, am I right?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"My point exactly. Kids always think they can beat the odds, that it'll never happen to them. But if they know that causing an explosion in my classroom will earn them immediate detention, doing the nastiest chores I can devise and getting lectured at the same time, they'll think twice about following their impulses. It works, I haven't ever had a fatality or a serious injury in my classroom."
"Neither have I," Colin agreed. "But I can't be like that with my kid, well, at least not all the time. Not at this age."
"Just remember to set some consequences and then stick by what you say. All the time. That'll save you a lot of headaches later on," Severus advised. He smiled down at his goddaughter. "She looks like Jenna, but she's got your eyes, Colin."
"And my temperament, I'm afraid," the Hunter sighed. "She's into everything, and got a mind of her own."
"Sounds like my niece Marietta. Now there's trouble, Flynn. She came to spend Christmas here with me at the school and I don't think it's recovered yet."
"Then your discipline didn't work on her?" Colin raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, it did. She never repeated the thing I punished her for twice. She just thought up something else. Marietta's like the ocean, you can't turn your back on her for a minute. She's a little minx. But she's a lovable scamp anyhow," Snape smiled reminiscently.
"You'll understand one day, Flick. When you've got an apprentice and a child of your own," Colin said. "It's the most wonderful and hair-raising experience of your life, right, Sev?"
"God, yes," the Potions Master said feelingly.
Flick looked from one to the other in puzzlement. "I don't get it. How can it be both?"
"It just is. You'll understand someday," Severus said, and tucked the photo into a pocket of his robes. Then he turned to discussing the kinds of creatures Voldemort had in his army. "Besides giants, there are mountain trolls, wyverns, imps, fell hounds and some lesser fae creatures. Sooner or later I expect them to summon up some revenants, but those we can handle easily."
Flick looked skeptical. "How? Revenants aren't easy to kill, even with blessed weapons."
"Because we have a ghostwalker among my students, Flick," answered Snape. "And she can command any spirit. She's one of my little surprises. Along with you and the dragons, that is."
Flick whistled. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Professor? With a ghostwalker, we can kick some serious butt."
"And the bronzes will have fun fighting the wyverns, since wyverns are their natural enemies," Colin added. "Plus, we can fly reconnaissance for you and patrol from the air, even at night. Nothing sees in the dark like dragon's eyes."
"You'll definitely give us an edge. Hopefully, we can keep this army at bay or drive it off before Voldemort realizes what we're about and brings the rest of his force here. I'm stalling for time, you see, for my Headmaster's mission must succeed if we're ever going to defeat Voldemort once and for all."
"He's got a secret weapon then?" Flick surmised.
"In a manner of speaking," Snape replied evasively.
Soon they were joined by Cheyenne and Arista and Trish. "Hope you didn't start debriefing without me, Colin," she said.
"No, Severus was just filling us in on all the nasty critters they've got," Colin said.
Cheyenne took a seat. "Such as?"
They quickly filled her in on what was discussed and she too agreed that most of the army wouldn't prove too much of a hazard for a dragon and rider, provided the dark wizards didn't have access to dragonbane.
Snape frowned. "Now that I don't know about, it's possible, of course, but dragonbane's rare here and it needs a master potion maker to prepare it properly, you can't just rub it on an arrow. For now, I'd say it was safe to assume they don't have any on hand. But be careful anyway."
"We will. A bronze out of his home territory is very wary indeed." She helped herself to some scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage. "What kinds of defenses do you have set up, Sev?"
They continued discussing the various defenses Snape had implemented around the grounds and inside the castle, all of which met with the Hunters' approval. Then they began discussing possible forays against the enemy, because with the dragons here, they could now bring the fight to Lucius and company, instead of waiting for them to attack.
Arista smiled to herself. Lucius Malfoy might not know it, but taking the castle had suddenly become a lot more dangerous and difficult.
So how did you like this one?
Next: The dragons and their wizards engage Lucius's forces repeatedly.