Chapter 33 - The Battle On The Quidditch Field
They came at Harry and Dumbledore. All the Death Eaters wanted was to kill the two of them, the people they most despised and so, with Voldemort at the front, they charged forward. But for every Death Eater there was a member of the D.A. Harry had his wand out and was firing stunning spells as along the row the D.A followed his lead. Harry felt a surge of pride as the red beams shot forward, some being blocked by shield charms, but many finding there targets. Harry watched his shoot an unawares Bellatrix Lestrange back into Lucius Malfoy, who had still been looking for his son.
Harry heard Voldemort cry out. "Crucio!" he screamed, and Harry only just ducked in time.
"Impedimenta!" Ron bellowed back at him, and Voldemort only just blocked it. Voldemort turned his attention to Ron.
"Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green light shot forward, but Harry, who had been crouching low, dived at Ron the minute Voldemort started speaking. He saw the flash of green light whip over his head and crash into the Quidditch post behind him. Harry turned and watched as it started to tilt... the huge golden hoop came crashing downwards, and Ginny managed to move so that she was in the middle of the hoop, and remained unharmed.
"You ok Ginny?" Harry yelled, but over the maelstrom of spells and explosions she didn't hear him.
Dumbledore and Voldemort were now duelling. Enraged at Voldemort's attacks on his students, Dumbledore had strode forth and was now attacking Voldemort on all flanks. Voldemort grabbed a Death Eater near him and shoved him in front of Dumbledore, the Death Eater crumpled to the followed with one swish of Dumbledore's wand.
Harry spotted movement behind the Death Eaters, and he could see the Giants and the Dementors waiting behind the Death Eaters. But behind them he could see something else...
Out of the forest they came, in huge numbers and Harry felt emboldened for they were followed by another enormous figure, who was accompanied by another, slightly smaller man.
"Ron!" he said excitedly. "The centaurs! The centaurs are coming! And there is Grawp and Hagrid!" The centaurs seemed to be focusing on the Giants, for they charged at them, their hooves causing a huge drum roll on the ground, which made many people look around. They had bows and arrows, for their magic was limited, and they used these to deadly effect. They flew at the Giants, who turned around and roared with pain and confusion. They blundered at the centaurs, who quickly evaded them by running in between their legs.
Ron grabbed Harry's arm. "Harry, look!" He was pointing upwards, away from the centaurs, to where the Slytherin Quidditch players were raining spells down on helpless defenders. Harry nodded at Ron and he yelled to the D.A.
"Leanne, Ginny, Jack?" he yelled out. "Lavender and Colin? Up!"
They all heard somehow and they mounted their brooms and kicked off into the sky. Harry led them up and round and they faced the Slytherin team. Harry and Ron approached Crabbe and Goyle, an easy pair.
"Impedimenta!" Harry yelled. Crabbed tumbled backwards off his broom, and he lay still on the grass where he had landed.
"Stupefy!" Ron shouted beside him. Goyle likewise fell backwards off his broom, stunned, and he landed with a sickening thud next to Crabbe. Harry nodded encouragingly at Ron, and they turned to help the others. Ron went to the aid of Lavender and Colin, who were taking on the Slytherin keeper. Harry on the other hand went to help Leanne, Jack and Ginny.
It didn't look good. Leanne was clinging onto the back of Ginny, as he broom had been reduced to dust with the Reductor curse. Jack was nowhere to be soon, although Harry soon spotted him clinging to one of the stands. One of his arms hung limply by his sides. Two of the Slytherin chasers were menacing Ginny; the third was lying unconscious on the floor beneath Jack. Harry decided Jack needed his help more – his hand looked like giving way. Harry landed on the stand and helped him up next to him. Without saying anything, Harry scrambled back onto his Firebolt and, bending low, he shot forwards on his broom.
He shot a red stunning spell at one of the chasers from behind. They fell from their broom and landed on top of another Death Eater beneath them. Harry turned and shot another spell at the last chaser. He started to fall off his broom, but Harry felt his heart go still as he watched another stunning spell hit Ginny in the stomach.
Her face went pale as she started to slide off the side of the broom: Leanne made a desperate grab for her but missed, and Ginny was suddenly plummeting towards the Earth. Harry felt his heart drop with her, and he dived down on his Firebolt to catch her. He was right next to her, he'd catch her, he reached out his arms...
THUD. Harry felt an immense pain fill his right shoulder: A stray centaur arrow had hit it, he was knocked backwards... away from Ginny... She was going to crash...
She hit the ground and lay very still. Harry let out an anguished yell and he thought that he had never seen anything so sad. He quickly transformed into a Phoenix and, clutching his Firebolt with his other foot, he gently lifted Ginny by the shoulder and carried her out to the back of the field, where people were still going inside. He transformed back and many girls let out a gasp of surprise. Harry didn't let them speak.
"Take care of her, will you?" he said urgently. The girls nodded mutely, although one of them was now eyeing Harry with a definite interest, and Harry left. He ran back through the crowds that had nearly entered Hogwarts. Most of those inside were in the Great Hall, which was being guarded by Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick, both of whom were urging the pupils inside.
Harry worked his way back towards the front line, his wand at the ready and his heart beating fast. He found Hermione quickly; she had just stunned and bound a Death Eater quickly and effectively. She turned to face him.
"Harry, I-" She began, but Harry cut her off.
"Hermione," he said quickly, "go inside and get everyone in the Great Hall to move up to the Gryffindor common room. It'll be small, but if we all come inside now they will be sitting ducks in there."
Hermione, who had looked ready to argue, noticed the angry glint in Harry's eyes, and she nodded and ran off towards the castle. Harry turned around just in time to dodge a stunning spell from MacNair.
"Come out to play have we Potter?" he said, his evil eyes glinting from behind his mask. Harry didn't hesitate.
"Impeditia!" he bellowed, his wand pointing MacNair. The Death Eater wasn't quick enough. Harry's spell struck him and he flew back twenty-foot before slamming into a Quidditch stand. The wood snapped easily, and Harry watched, horror struck, as the stand collapse on top of MacNair. Harry saw him make a feeble bid to stand up, but then a piece of stand came slamming down on top of him. No one could have survived that.
Harry was rooted to the spot for a second – he had not meant to kill him – but he HAD killed him... then he realised something. This was a war, he thought, and there were going to be casualties.
He looked passed the Giants and saw a sight which gladdened his heart. Arthur, Fred, George, Bill and Charlie Weasley were tearing up the Hogwarts lawns, around the centaurs, and behind them were Remus Lupin, and about ten other Order members. Behind them were the Aurors, who fanned out around the Giants to take them down. However, as the Order members came up from one side, the Dementors started to move forward.
Harry realised that this danger had to go instantly. "Dumbledore's Army!" he yelled as loudly as his voice could go. "To me Dumbledore's army! Patronuses on three! Three... two... one..." Harry focused on his memory of being with Ginny outside the chasm of life as hard as he could.
As one, the whole of Dumbledore's Army yelled the spell. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" The sound shook throughout the stadium, but it was nothing compared to the sonic waves that flew from their wands. Harry's stag Patronus charged into the sky at the Dementors, leading the other fifty or so various Patronuses into battle.
It was beautiful. The Patronuses rounded up the Dementors, who tried to fight, but found Patronuses on all sides. All those on the pitch couldn't help it. They looked to watch the fantastic sight of the Dementors being forced to flee by the Patronuses. Their white forms chased them out of sight, and Harry felt sure they would not be back.
On the ground however, the victory was not so complete. Despite the appearance of many Aurors, Order members and assorted Weasleys, the group defending were still out numbered heavily. The Giants particularly were proving stubborn opposition, with their still being about fifteen of the original twenty still standing. Centaur casualties were becoming heavy, but Harry saw Firenze and Bane both leading in a fresh assault on a newly fallen Giant.
Sheer weight of numbers would always win. Dumbledore, who was still duelling with Voldemort, called over the maelstrom. "Back to the castle everyone, we will be able to defend better from there."
Harry took up the cry. "Retreat! Back to the castle!" Harry started to walk backwards, still firing stunning spells towards the Death Eaters. He made sure that behind him everyone, save for the Aurors who were on the far side of the Death Eaters, were inside. He ushered the Weasleys and Remus inside, before quickly closing the door on Dumbledore's instruction as he entered the castle. He had been able to retreat, as he had set up an invisible trip rope that had got Voldemort onto the floor.
"The Aurors will be ok, won't they?" said Harry quietly.
"Oh yes, do not worry," said Mr Weasley in an assuring voice. "They're trained to deal with these situations."
And then, as all had gone quiet for a moment, the door was knocked back off its hinges with a huge explosion of dust and rubble. Voldemort had entered Hogwarts.
They came at Harry and Dumbledore. All the Death Eaters wanted was to kill the two of them, the people they most despised and so, with Voldemort at the front, they charged forward. But for every Death Eater there was a member of the D.A. Harry had his wand out and was firing stunning spells as along the row the D.A followed his lead. Harry felt a surge of pride as the red beams shot forward, some being blocked by shield charms, but many finding there targets. Harry watched his shoot an unawares Bellatrix Lestrange back into Lucius Malfoy, who had still been looking for his son.
Harry heard Voldemort cry out. "Crucio!" he screamed, and Harry only just ducked in time.
"Impedimenta!" Ron bellowed back at him, and Voldemort only just blocked it. Voldemort turned his attention to Ron.
"Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green light shot forward, but Harry, who had been crouching low, dived at Ron the minute Voldemort started speaking. He saw the flash of green light whip over his head and crash into the Quidditch post behind him. Harry turned and watched as it started to tilt... the huge golden hoop came crashing downwards, and Ginny managed to move so that she was in the middle of the hoop, and remained unharmed.
"You ok Ginny?" Harry yelled, but over the maelstrom of spells and explosions she didn't hear him.
Dumbledore and Voldemort were now duelling. Enraged at Voldemort's attacks on his students, Dumbledore had strode forth and was now attacking Voldemort on all flanks. Voldemort grabbed a Death Eater near him and shoved him in front of Dumbledore, the Death Eater crumpled to the followed with one swish of Dumbledore's wand.
Harry spotted movement behind the Death Eaters, and he could see the Giants and the Dementors waiting behind the Death Eaters. But behind them he could see something else...
Out of the forest they came, in huge numbers and Harry felt emboldened for they were followed by another enormous figure, who was accompanied by another, slightly smaller man.
"Ron!" he said excitedly. "The centaurs! The centaurs are coming! And there is Grawp and Hagrid!" The centaurs seemed to be focusing on the Giants, for they charged at them, their hooves causing a huge drum roll on the ground, which made many people look around. They had bows and arrows, for their magic was limited, and they used these to deadly effect. They flew at the Giants, who turned around and roared with pain and confusion. They blundered at the centaurs, who quickly evaded them by running in between their legs.
Ron grabbed Harry's arm. "Harry, look!" He was pointing upwards, away from the centaurs, to where the Slytherin Quidditch players were raining spells down on helpless defenders. Harry nodded at Ron and he yelled to the D.A.
"Leanne, Ginny, Jack?" he yelled out. "Lavender and Colin? Up!"
They all heard somehow and they mounted their brooms and kicked off into the sky. Harry led them up and round and they faced the Slytherin team. Harry and Ron approached Crabbe and Goyle, an easy pair.
"Impedimenta!" Harry yelled. Crabbed tumbled backwards off his broom, and he lay still on the grass where he had landed.
"Stupefy!" Ron shouted beside him. Goyle likewise fell backwards off his broom, stunned, and he landed with a sickening thud next to Crabbe. Harry nodded encouragingly at Ron, and they turned to help the others. Ron went to the aid of Lavender and Colin, who were taking on the Slytherin keeper. Harry on the other hand went to help Leanne, Jack and Ginny.
It didn't look good. Leanne was clinging onto the back of Ginny, as he broom had been reduced to dust with the Reductor curse. Jack was nowhere to be soon, although Harry soon spotted him clinging to one of the stands. One of his arms hung limply by his sides. Two of the Slytherin chasers were menacing Ginny; the third was lying unconscious on the floor beneath Jack. Harry decided Jack needed his help more – his hand looked like giving way. Harry landed on the stand and helped him up next to him. Without saying anything, Harry scrambled back onto his Firebolt and, bending low, he shot forwards on his broom.
He shot a red stunning spell at one of the chasers from behind. They fell from their broom and landed on top of another Death Eater beneath them. Harry turned and shot another spell at the last chaser. He started to fall off his broom, but Harry felt his heart go still as he watched another stunning spell hit Ginny in the stomach.
Her face went pale as she started to slide off the side of the broom: Leanne made a desperate grab for her but missed, and Ginny was suddenly plummeting towards the Earth. Harry felt his heart drop with her, and he dived down on his Firebolt to catch her. He was right next to her, he'd catch her, he reached out his arms...
THUD. Harry felt an immense pain fill his right shoulder: A stray centaur arrow had hit it, he was knocked backwards... away from Ginny... She was going to crash...
She hit the ground and lay very still. Harry let out an anguished yell and he thought that he had never seen anything so sad. He quickly transformed into a Phoenix and, clutching his Firebolt with his other foot, he gently lifted Ginny by the shoulder and carried her out to the back of the field, where people were still going inside. He transformed back and many girls let out a gasp of surprise. Harry didn't let them speak.
"Take care of her, will you?" he said urgently. The girls nodded mutely, although one of them was now eyeing Harry with a definite interest, and Harry left. He ran back through the crowds that had nearly entered Hogwarts. Most of those inside were in the Great Hall, which was being guarded by Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick, both of whom were urging the pupils inside.
Harry worked his way back towards the front line, his wand at the ready and his heart beating fast. He found Hermione quickly; she had just stunned and bound a Death Eater quickly and effectively. She turned to face him.
"Harry, I-" She began, but Harry cut her off.
"Hermione," he said quickly, "go inside and get everyone in the Great Hall to move up to the Gryffindor common room. It'll be small, but if we all come inside now they will be sitting ducks in there."
Hermione, who had looked ready to argue, noticed the angry glint in Harry's eyes, and she nodded and ran off towards the castle. Harry turned around just in time to dodge a stunning spell from MacNair.
"Come out to play have we Potter?" he said, his evil eyes glinting from behind his mask. Harry didn't hesitate.
"Impeditia!" he bellowed, his wand pointing MacNair. The Death Eater wasn't quick enough. Harry's spell struck him and he flew back twenty-foot before slamming into a Quidditch stand. The wood snapped easily, and Harry watched, horror struck, as the stand collapse on top of MacNair. Harry saw him make a feeble bid to stand up, but then a piece of stand came slamming down on top of him. No one could have survived that.
Harry was rooted to the spot for a second – he had not meant to kill him – but he HAD killed him... then he realised something. This was a war, he thought, and there were going to be casualties.
He looked passed the Giants and saw a sight which gladdened his heart. Arthur, Fred, George, Bill and Charlie Weasley were tearing up the Hogwarts lawns, around the centaurs, and behind them were Remus Lupin, and about ten other Order members. Behind them were the Aurors, who fanned out around the Giants to take them down. However, as the Order members came up from one side, the Dementors started to move forward.
Harry realised that this danger had to go instantly. "Dumbledore's Army!" he yelled as loudly as his voice could go. "To me Dumbledore's army! Patronuses on three! Three... two... one..." Harry focused on his memory of being with Ginny outside the chasm of life as hard as he could.
As one, the whole of Dumbledore's Army yelled the spell. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" The sound shook throughout the stadium, but it was nothing compared to the sonic waves that flew from their wands. Harry's stag Patronus charged into the sky at the Dementors, leading the other fifty or so various Patronuses into battle.
It was beautiful. The Patronuses rounded up the Dementors, who tried to fight, but found Patronuses on all sides. All those on the pitch couldn't help it. They looked to watch the fantastic sight of the Dementors being forced to flee by the Patronuses. Their white forms chased them out of sight, and Harry felt sure they would not be back.
On the ground however, the victory was not so complete. Despite the appearance of many Aurors, Order members and assorted Weasleys, the group defending were still out numbered heavily. The Giants particularly were proving stubborn opposition, with their still being about fifteen of the original twenty still standing. Centaur casualties were becoming heavy, but Harry saw Firenze and Bane both leading in a fresh assault on a newly fallen Giant.
Sheer weight of numbers would always win. Dumbledore, who was still duelling with Voldemort, called over the maelstrom. "Back to the castle everyone, we will be able to defend better from there."
Harry took up the cry. "Retreat! Back to the castle!" Harry started to walk backwards, still firing stunning spells towards the Death Eaters. He made sure that behind him everyone, save for the Aurors who were on the far side of the Death Eaters, were inside. He ushered the Weasleys and Remus inside, before quickly closing the door on Dumbledore's instruction as he entered the castle. He had been able to retreat, as he had set up an invisible trip rope that had got Voldemort onto the floor.
"The Aurors will be ok, won't they?" said Harry quietly.
"Oh yes, do not worry," said Mr Weasley in an assuring voice. "They're trained to deal with these situations."
And then, as all had gone quiet for a moment, the door was knocked back off its hinges with a huge explosion of dust and rubble. Voldemort had entered Hogwarts.
