Chapter 32 - Voldemort's Army

The screams swelled into a crescendo that must have carried to the carnage of Hogsmeade, for the Giants, Dementors and Death Eaters looked up towards the castle. And then Harry saw him. He let out a yell of pain as his scar erupted into life on his forehead, and he bent to his knees, a few people saw Harry fall, but none was spurred into action, except Harry felt Dumbledore's thin hands helping him to his feet. Harry looked back again at Hogsmeade.

Voldemort was right at the front. He had obviously come down from Sirius' old cave, and now he was at the Hogwarts gates. He yelled something, and his Death Eaters marched forwards in ranks. There were many of them, at least fifty and probably more, and they walked forwards in a straight line, their wands raised and pulling the ever-growing Dark Mark following them in the sky.

They fanned out slightly as they marched up the Hogwarts lawns towards the Quidditch grounds. By now, the Dementors were gliding softly in the air above the Death Eaters, and the Giants marched heavily behind, their huge strides beating a steady marching beat on the ground.

Dumbledore helped Harry, still clutching his Firebolt, to move off the stand, and the two of them walked through the crowd towards the front. This Harry could understand: it was to embolden and encourage the others. Harry felt compelled to follow Dumbledore's lead, and he called out above the yells and explosions that still came from Hogsmeade.

"Forward the D.A!" He yelled it as loudly as he could, and he was surprised and relieved when the D.A came forwards. They walked forwards, equal now in number to the Death Eaters at least, and they heard some murmuring from the crowd, sounds of hope. The D.A lined up in front of the Quidditch crowd, with the teachers also gathering at the front. Mr Diggory nodded briefly at Harry, his face grimly set, and Harry understood: he wanted vengeance.

Fawkes swooped down out of the sky and alighted on Dumbledore's shoulder. Dumbledore whispered something, and Fawkes took off in a flash of fire. By now the whole of Voldemort's army was almost inside the Hogwarts grounds, except for the Giants. To the school's horror, they were tearing apart the school gates, using their brute strength to wrench them apart. This was obviously a ploy to scare the school students, one that had obviously worked, for Harry could hear many of the girls screaming in terror.

He suddenly realised something, and he stretched out an arm and put around Ginny's shaking shoulders. "Don't worry Ginny," he said, although his heart was quailing with fear and anxiety, "You'll be alright."

"It is not me I worry for," she said tearfully, "it is you, and everyone else I hold dear."

Harry held her tighter in his arms, his heart thudding painfully in his chest as the full realisation of what was about to happen, what could happen. He looked over at Ron and Hermione, who were also standing very close to each other, he felt a huge pang in his heart, what if he was never to see them again? He beckoned them over and hugged Hermione hard, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything to Ron. They both just looked at each other for a long time and nodded. And Harry felt tears welling up in his eyes as another truth, a happier truth hit him: these people would be his friends for life, and they were prepared to die for him. This thought overwhelmed him and Harry felt as powerful and emotion as he thought possible, which soon changed to hate, as he looked up at Voldemort.

All this misery... all this suffering... it was down to that man who was walking up towards the Quidditch pitch. The school had backed away and half the pitch was empty, and Voldemort, followed by his army, entered the stadium. They fanned out, spreading across the stadium, their wands out in front of them, laughing behind their hooded masks. Voldemort stopped opposite Harry and Dumbledore, about twenty feet away, and he sneered at them as the last of the Death Eaters entered the stadium. They seemed to be a huge number of them now, and the sky above them was filled with the swishing black cloaks of the Dementors. The Giants, who had now finished their destruction of the gates, stood by the exits.

"Harry," Dumbledore whispered softly, drawing his wand and placing it across Harry's own in an X shape, "on the count of three say, "Protegetto," ok?" Harry nodded. "One... Two... Three..."

"Protegetto!" Harry almost recoiled in surprise as from his and Dumbledore's wands; a huge blue shape had erupted from them. It had a similar form to the mixture inside a penseive, and it formed itself into a huge arcing barrier, which bent back over their heads like a force field. Harry heard other adults along the front row add their power to it.

Voldemort sneered and let out a mocking cough for attention. "Well, well, well..." he said tauntingly, "Dumbledore and his pet." He waited for the Dementors to have a hearty laugh at this before continuing. "I suppose you won't be one to surrender would you Albus? And would you like to join me, Harry?"

Harry had had enough; he made to step forwards but felt Dumbledore's restraining hand. "I cannot protect you outside this shield," he said quietly. "It will protect all but the worst spells." Dumbledore turned his attention to Voldemort, who he looked at with cold fury. "You should not be here Tom. Leave here now and I will not stop you."

Voldemort let out a jeering laugh. "And why would I do that when there is such good sport to be had here?" He let out a cruel mocking laugh that made Harry's scar shudder with pain. "Surely you do not look to challenge me?"

"We will defeat you Voldemort!" It was not Dumbledore's voice, but a girl's. Harry looked around to see Hermione standing forwards, her voice loud and bold. As one, a spontaneous cheer erupted from the D.A and the school, and Harry saw Voldemort's smile slide from his face, although the Death Eater next to him let out a loud high pitched laugh that Harry vaguely recognised, and then Bellatrix Lestrange spoke.

"You insolent girl!" She laughed loudly, a bitter, twisted sound. "You dare not challenge the Lord of all!"

"Acquired another title have you – Voldemort?" Hermione had spoken again, as scathingly as she could.

"Be quiet Mudblood," he said angrily, though Harry could see that some of the Death Eaters were rattled by this fierce response. "Maybe I should recall some more to my cause then? Come to me, my faithful servants..."

Harry looked at Dumbledore, who had a resigned look on his face, and then Harry looked around at the school. The Slytherins were moving forward. Harry couldn't see Malfoy, and he could see that some were staying still, but a lot of the Slytherins started to walk past the rest of the school.

There was stunned silence. Voldemort's ranks swelled to about a hundred, but Dumbledore let them all pass. He looked at them sadly and none of them would look in his face, but they strode out of the force field and into Voldemort's waiting ranks. A few adults beckoned to their children, but Harry could see a form he recognised as Lucius Malfoy looking around for his son.

"Now will you take on my faithful servants Albus?" Voldemort laughed, and the sound struck fear into the hearts of the defenders, but they held their ground firmly.

Dumbledore raised his voice. "You shall not harm anyone in this school Tom!" he said thunderously, his old form shaking with a rage Harry had never seen before. Professor Sprout? Get the younger members of the school inside."

Harry watched as behind her some of the school started to move back inside, but this was the final straw for Voldemort.

"Then you have chosen death Albus! We will show you no quarter!"

And with that, Harry saw a jet of red light emerge from Voldemort's wand and it slammed into the force field. The Death Eaters charged forwards with a howl of fury, and burst through the field.

The battle had begun.