-Chapter Eighteen-

The War I Survived

"…And then the Aurors arrived and chased them off."

Harry stopped, his throat dry from the long story he'd just told. Everyone else in Professor McGonagall's study stared back at him. Some, like Ron and Hermione, were staring with looks of horror on their faces while others, such as Snape, had a look of contempt, disbelief and outright hatred on their faces (1).

"What you are saying sounds highly unlikely…" said McGonagall.

"It would explain why Dumbledore has been so secretive of late." squeaked Professor Flitwick, although he didn't look to happy at the thought.

At that moment the door opened and Dawlish walked in, his face grave. "The Aurors have returned from Hagrid's Cabin. There was definitely a fight there. They also found the remains of something that definitely does not originate from either our world or the Muggle world." He shook his head in disbelief at his own words. "It looks like Potter was telling the truth."

Everyone in the room looked visibly nervous. This was something that had not been encountered before. "And Hagrid?" asked Harry, bracing himself.

Dawlish didn't quite meet his gaze. "I'm sorry."

Harry felt a great sadness in him for the loss of one of his oldest friends. Across the table Hermione burst into tears and Ron quickly comforted her.

"So what do we do now?" asked Harry, forcing himself to stay focussed on the job at hand.

For a few seconds Dawlish seemed at a loss for words, his hands fidgeting endlessly. "Well first we need you to show us these locations." he said finally. "Then as soon as Mr. Diggory arrives we can -"

But he was interrupted by Snape suddenly leaping to his feet. "This is all ridiculous! The story that Potter has told is so far fetched it couldn't possible be real. The idea of Hogwarts being infiltrated in such a way is completely ridiculous! All of this is just another pathetic cry for attention that Potter is so fond of!

McGongall shot to her feet, her face white with rage. "Now see here Severus! I will not -"

But the argument was quickly halted when the door was flung open and Amos Diggory marched in. If Harry had been expecting support he was to be disappointed. Diggory was beside himself with anger. "What is the meaning of this?" he roared. 'I return from giving my report and find that all of the Aurors have been moved in on Hogwarts without my permission!"

"Sir, please, it's an emergency…" said Dawlish, faltering before Diggory's anger.

"Emergency?" snapped Diggory. "What are you talking about Dawlish? What kind of emergency?"

In reply Dawlish looked at Harry. Harry cleared his throat and prepared to launch into his story again but was stopped as Snape swept by. "I am not hearing any more of this rubbish." He marched out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Diggory turned back to Harry, still looking annoyed but calmer. "Well?"

Harry took a deep breath and launched into the story again. As he told it the look on Diggorys face changed from annoyed disbelief to worried.

"If this is true…" he said once Harry had finished. "Then this could be bigger that anyone could have imagined." For a few seconds he stared into space, then shook himself out of his trance and turned to Dawlish. "Dawlish, get everybody searching the Castle. Leave no stone unturned. Start at once!" Dawlish snapped to attention and then left the room. Diggory turned to McGongall, Flitwick and Sprout. "Get all of the students back to their common rooms. Use any spells you deem necessary to make sure they are secure and allow nobody to leave. See that Professor Snape does the same." The three Heads of Houses nodded in assent, still taking everything in. "What about us?" aced Harry, eager to work alongside the Aurors.

Diggory turned to him. Harry was surprised to see that he looked even angrier than before. "Your eagerness to interfere where you shouldn't has helped for once. But look at what has happened! All of the deaths! Just like -" he broke off and Harry saw him wipe a tear away. Harry knew what this meant…. Cedric's death still affected him deeply. "You will return to you Common room." Diggory said finally.

"But I want to help!" shouted Harry, leaping to his feet as his anger getting the better of him. They couldn't sideline him now, not after everything he had been through!

But Hermione put a hand on his arm. "Harry… I think he's right," she flinched back as Harry swung round to glare at her but carried on. "You've done so much over the last couple of days, you need to rest!"

"She's right mate, your too on edge to think properly," added Ron.

Harry thought about arguing but decided that were right. Despite his eagerness his body felt like a lead weight. All he wanted to do was go to bed. He nodded in agreement.

"Excellent," said Diggory. "I'll arrange an escort back to your Common Room. And Harry?"

"Yes?"

Diggory smiled thinly at him, although the smile didn't seem to quite reach his eyes. "Good work."

Harry, Ron and Hermione were escorted back to the Gryffindor Common Room by an Auror. Once safely back inside they were greeted by several Gryffindors, all asking questions about what was happening. The three of them shrugged them off and disappeared up to their rooms.

Harry had expected that the three of them would have talked all through the night about what had happened but he could only manage a tired "'night" to Ron before climbing into bed.

Once alone, he went over everything that had happened. The Master… The Daleks… Dumbledore, Hagrid and Willow were all dead…

Tears began to flow from Harry's eyes and he stifled a sob. They were dead! As the fact sank in Harry huddled up under his bed clothes, his body wracked with silent sobbing and he wished that come the morning everything would be back to normal.

"Crucio!"

Malfoy cried out as the curse hit him for what felt like the hundredth time. He writhed about on the floor in spasms of pain. Up above on the balcony the Master allowed every bit of frustration and anger to flow from his body and into the deadly curse. "You have no one but yourself to blame, Draco." he hissed. "Your continued failures have made me force my hand too early and jeopardise my plans in ways your pathetic mind could not even fathom." Finally he allowed the curse to die away and Malfoy lay still, panting heavily in pagony. "You could never do it, Draco," sneered the Master, raising his wand for a final, deadlier curse. "You lack the heart to go through it all."

A movement caught the Master's attention, and he looked up in time to see several Death Eaters and Slytherins walk in. "Well?" he snapped. "What is happening?"

"They are moving against us." said a Slytherin called Garlow Sanger. "The Aurors are at Hogwarts and are preparing to search the entire building."

The Master cursed and immediately began to pull the Death Eater's cloak around himself once more. "Then I shall have to move things to the final phase." He crossed to a nearby console and operated several switches. At once the Death Eaters began to move to various different doors, barring one or two who remained. Fixing the Death Eater mask into place over his face, the Master turned back to Malfoy. "I have no time to waste on you, Draco." he pulled out his wand and pointed it at Malfoys. "Avada Keva-"

"Expelliarmus!" cried another voice suddenly, and the Master found his wand flying worm his grip immediately. Surprised, he turned to look at the Death Eater who had cast the spell. "What…?"

The Death Eater threw back his hood and pulled off his mask, revealing his features for all to see.

"Stupefy!" bellowed Snape.

So shocked was The Master that he barely threw himself aside in time, landing heavily on the platform. He began to crawl towards his wand desperately. "Severus, please, you don't understand…" he shouted, a desperate plan forming almost immediately.

"Whatever it is you are up to, it ends now." said Snape simply. He darted over to Malfoy and shook his shoulder, neither his gaze or wand wavering from the Master for a second. "On your feet, Draco." he snapped. With great difficulty, Malfoy began to get up.

"Come now Severus…" said the Master, his voice sounding very different now. He reached for his mask. "Have you ever had cause to doubt I, Dumbledore, before?" he said, removing the mask and revealing the benevolent face of Dumbledore beneath (2).

For a few moments Snape's eyes widened in surprise, but then his glare hardened. "Dumbledore would never treat his students like this," he sneered. "You are nothing more than a pathetic impersonator."

But the Master had merely been playing for time. With a sudden flourish his wand was in Dumbledore's hand and a deadly spell was hurtling towards Snape, who blocked it. "Run, Draco." he shouted. Malfoy needed no second bidding, taking off into the tunnel that lead back to the entrance. Snape sent a flurry of spells back at the Master, who dosdged behind a pillar to avoid them. Snape took the opportunity to duck behind a early computer bank. "The rest of you too! Go!" he shouted to the group of Slytherins.

Up above a particularly special kind of console beeped and the Master chuckled. All was in readiness. He reached for a particular button but another spell from Snape nearly hit him and he ducked behind a pillar.

Down below most of the Slytherins had taken their cue from Malfoy and had fled into the tunnels, but a small handful refused to move. "Hurry, get out of here!" snapped Snape, leaving his cover and running towards them. But it was a bad move. Seizing the opportunity, Dumbledore leapt from hiding and fired a spell so big that Snape was lifted off his feet and flung into the tunnel, sliding back on his back before stopping.

Almost instantly he struggled to his feet but it was too late. Laughing in triumph, Dumbledore fired a quick "Explosivo!" at the roof of the tunnel, and Snape had to leap backwards to avoid the rubble as the tunnel caved in. His last glimpse of the Chamber was one he would never forget: The sight of Dumbledore's face sneering in triumph.

Dumbledore's laughter rang around the Chamber as the tunnel collapsed and he returned to the Master's form. Finally he calmed down and looked down at the remaining few Slytherins almost mockingly. "Ahh my faithful few," he smiled, still jubilant from his victory in the fight. "Still loyal I see?" The Slytherins, only ten or so in number now, looked at each other uncertainly and then nodded. "We are with you to the end, Master." said Sanger, his eyes shining with eagerness.

"Excellent!" beamed the Master. "But… what a pity that you are no longer needed!"

Laughing again, he pressed the button on the console he had been reaching for before.

Almost instantly each door on the walls of the Chamber was flung open, revealing a Dalek in each one. "Exterminate!" cried each Slytherins screamed and attempted to run but the Daleks opened fire. In seconds all that remained of the Slytherins was nothing more than their blackened bodies lying on the floor.

"Excellent!" cried the Master, bowing mockingly to the Daleks. "I trust all is in readiness?"

"Affirmative," said one of the Daleks. It turned to the nearest bit of machinery installed within the Chamber. "Connection and recalibration will begin at once." It extended the plunger-like appendage until it was attached to the console. Instantly the console burst into life, lights flashing as it operated. All around the room the other Daleks repeated the manoeuvre and soon every console was operating.

"I will leave you to it, gentlemen." said the Master, turning to leave.

"Where are you going?" demanded the Dalek.

"Upstairs," called The Master, stepping into the lift concealed with the statue of Salazar Slytherin. "I have a few more… loose ends to tie up."

Appendix

(1) Okay, only Snape was doing that last one.

(2) While only a throwaway line by the Master here, it was later discovered that some of Dumbledore's plans for stopping Lord Voldemort were known to be very dark indeed. The rumours were quickly squashed by the Ministry, but it was rumoured that certain artefacts had gone missing...