HARRY POTTER AND

HARRY POTTER AND ICE CREAM DELIGHTS 9-25-08

Author: Luckner

Disclaimer: The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This chapter has a good deal more violence than the ones that preceded it, but it is necessary to the plot of the story.

CHAPTER 9: DAY OF BLOOD AND FIRE

As the Dark Lord waited for his lieutenants to assemble he felt an emotion that was very rare; that emotion being a sense of deep satisfaction. It was the day, the hour and almost the minute when he would launch the final attack which would sweep aside his enemies and bring him the power he had always desired. The only task remaining was to dispatch his followers to their appointed assignments and prepare for his own role in the final battle.

The first step was the most important, for upon it could rest the fate of the whole operation. Harry Potter, the "chosen one," must die and the whole world must know about it. The death of Harry Potter would break the morale of Ministry forces, and make them easy prey for his Death Eaters. To lead this phase of the attack Voldemort had selected Walden Macnair, a faithful lieutenant with a particularly violent streak. The Dark Lord wanted Potter's death to be ruthless and bloody, with as much shock value as possible. While other wizards had more power, Macnair had a grim determination that would not allow him to fail, not while breath remained in his body. Since his release from Askaban he had begged the Dark Lord for a chance to prove himself, and that opportunity had finally arrived.

Voldemort would have enjoyed killing Potter personally, but the presence of the Dark Lord was required for the second phase of the attack: the destruction of the Ministry of Magic. For that attack Voldemort was retaining his most powerful Death Eaters. While Cornelius Fudge would have no doubt been cringing under his desk in fear, the newly appointed Minister of Magic was quite a different matter. The Dark Lord fully expected to meet Madam Bones and her Aurors in a fight to the death. His attack was intended to commence immediately after news of Potter's death reached the Ministry, when the morale of its forces would be at the lowest ebb. The prime targets of the attack were to be the Minister herself and every high ranking government official present; and Voldemort felt that the more blood that was spilled the better. With the government without leadership the country would quickly fall into his hands.

Actually, the Dark Lord held a faint hope that he might have it both ways. He had instructed Macnair to capture Potter and Lovegood if it was possible, but to make it appear that they had been killed. As to the other children who were with him at the time of the attack, they were all to be killed in the most savage way possible. He wished the act to be as bloody and brutal as possible to paralyze the rest of the wizarding world with fear.

Once Potter was out of the way and the Ministry of Magic was in his hands, he would deal with Albus Dumbledore. With such a dazzling victory his ranks would quickly swell with the many pure-bloods who had so long been vacillating about joining his cause. Then he would attack Hogwarts in force and destroy Dumbledore.

Lord Voldemort's confidence in his plan was well placed, and was based on a piece of solid intelligence which had revealed a flaw in Harry Potter's routine; one that would give the Dark Lord the opportunity that he needed. Potter and his friends consistently occupied the last carriage on the Hogwarts Express during their trips to and from school. Anyone familiar with military tactics knows that falling into a set routine provides your enemy with an opportunity, and Lord Voldemort fully intended to exploit this one.

- o -

For the first time that he could remember, Harry Potter actually regretted the start of the new school year. Harry's weeks with Luna and her father had been the happiest of his life, and he sincerely wished that his summer holiday could last forever. His feelings for young Luna Lovegood had deepened to the point where he knew that being separated from her for even a day would be unbearable. And yet as the two passed through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾ they both realized that they were going to have less time together once school started; being in different years they wouldn't share a single class. The appearance of the two teens and immediately drew the attention of the parents and students standing nearby, and a hush fell over the platform. Recent events were on the minds of everyone, and the crowd stepped back to let the young couple pass.

"Here come the love birds," Ginny Weasley declared in a voice that was a little bit too loud. Her remark earned her a scowl from Harry, which quickly turned into a sheepish grin when Luna kissed him on the cheek.

"Didn't I just see Neville with Parvati Patil," Ron said casually.

Ginny's attention was immediately diverted as she scanned the crowd like a hawk. But when she saw Ron grinning she gave him an ugly look that promised swift and severe payback, and the grin faded from Ron's lips.

As they prepared to board the train Molly Weasley gave them all a tremendous hug, which included Hermione, Harry and Luna, and told them all to be very careful. Harry could tell that she was very fearful about what the coming year would bring, and Harry couldn't help but be a little concerned himself.

The friends separated as soon as they boarded the train, with Ron, Hermione and Ginny going forward to meet with the other prefects and the new Head Boy and Head Girl in the first coach. Harry promised that he would search for an empty compartment, and with Neville and Luna he turned and walked towards the rear of the train.

Harry was more than a little surprised to see Professor Flitwick approaching them from the opposite direction, helping students to get settled before the train pulled out of the station.

"Good morning, Professor Flitwick," Luna said politely as she greeted her head of house.

The diminutive charms instructor smiled warmly as Luna and her two Gryffindor friends approached.

"Good morning, Miss Lovegood; its good to see you again. I'm glad to see you two gentlemen as well," he said addressing Harry and Neville. "From what I hear, you've all had a very interesting summer," he said, a very Dumbledore-like twinkle in his eyes as he observed the two teens holding hands.

"Err, yes it's been a wonderful summer," Harry answered a bit shyly. "What are you doing on board, Sir?" He asked hoping to change the subject.

"Professor Dumbledore felt that with everything that has been happening we needed a little extra security on the train; and I volunteered to ride along," he said in a reassuring voice. Then seeing two boys further along the carriage waving their wands about, he hastily excused himself and moved along to maintain the peace.

At the same time another pair of eyes was watching Harry and his friends from the shadows of a nearby compartment. He was eager to prove himself to his master, and his only regret was that he wouldn't see Potter's end.

The three teens moved down the aisle and finally in the last carriage their search was rewarded, and the three got settled in. It had become a habit for Harry and his friends to seek a compartment in the last carriage, in spite of the fact older students usually selected a carriage towards the front of the train.

While they waited for the others to return, the three friends decided to play a game of exploding snap and Neville pulled out a deck of cards. Luna seemed to have an uncanny knack for never getting her fingers burned, even when the stack was smoldering dangerously when she laid her card down. Harry, who followed Luna in the rotation, was usually the victim when the pile exploded.

"How does she do it?" Neville asked Harry in amazement as she safely laid her card on the badly smoking pile.

"I have no idea, but I wish I did," Harry said as he very carefully tried to lay his card down on top of hers. The pile immediately exploded in flame, singeing his eyebrows slightly. After that experience Harry readily conceded the game and Neville quickly followed suit.

A moment later there was a tap on the door and they all looked up to see a smiling Susan Bones standing in the corridor. In response to their wave she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Would it be alright if I sat with you?" She asked a little shyly.

"Of course," Harry answered, even though he knew the compartment would be a little cramped when the others returned. She settled down next to Neville and opposite Harry and Luna.

Soon all three were talking about the events of the proceeding weeks and their expectations for the upcoming year. They all wondered who Professor Dumbledore would name to the seemingly cursed position of Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. Professor McGonagall had sent Harry a note that stated that his right to play Quidditich had been restored, and that she was naming him the Gryffindor Quidditch captain. As a result the chances of all four houses winning the House Cup were a main topic of discussion.

At that moment the train gave a sudden lurch and started to slow down.

"What now?" Neville asked, as he stood up and walked out into the corridor to check things out.

A moment later he rushed back into the compartment, a concerned look on his face. "Harry! We're loose from the train," he exclaimed excitedly.

All four teens jumped up and rushed out of the compartment and towards the front of the carriage. Younger students were sticking their heads out of their own compartments in confusion, and Luna and Susan slowed to calm them. Harry and Neville reached the front of the carriage just in time to see the train disappear far in the distance.

"What do you think, Harry; a faulty coupling?" Neville asked with concern.

"I don't think so, Neville," Harry replied grimly, as he pointed to the remains of the coupling, which was a melted mass of metal. He saw movement in the trees off to his left, and looked up just in time to see a beam of green light miss his head by inches. The spell struck the carriage behind him, blasting a large hole in the wood.

"Back inside, Death Eaters!" Harry shouted, as he fired two quick stunners at a black robed figure emerging from behind some trees.

Neville stepped back into the carriage and took up a position in the first compartment. He looked out the window and then dropped to the floor just in time to avoid a red beam of light that shattered the window and traveled across the space to destroy the compartment door opposite. He quickly stood and fired back a Reductor of his own, blasting a small stand of trees in which a Death Eater was concealed. The man jumped to the side just before the slow-moving spell struck the trees and flattened them.

Harry took a place by the glass door to the carriage and started firing spells at two Death Eaters concealed in some tall bushes near the tracks.

Looking back into the carriage Harry could see that Susan and Luna were getting the younger children to lie down on the floor in the aisle and were covering them with anything that they could find. At that moment another Reductor Curse shattered the window of one of the compartments and showered the prostrate children with broken glass and wood splinters. Harry could hear little girls screaming under the cloaks on the floor, and he returned to the fight with savage determination.

Luna left Susan to care for the frightened children and went to one of the shattered windows and started firing her own spells at several approaching Death Eaters; and Harry and Neville quickly shifted their fire to join her.

"We can't hold out in here," Harry shouted, as two more windows exploded inwards and part of the carriage wall was blasted away. He hurriedly looked around for a more defensible position, but couldn't see a possible shelter.

"Harry, the rocks," Luna shouted, as she pointed to a pile of boulders in the center of the field behind them.

"Right," Harry agreed, as he realized that pile made a natural fort and would be easier to defend than the train carriage.

"Susan, can you get the children over to those rocks if we provide cover?" Harry shouted as he fired several Stunning Spells at the approaching figures clad in black.

"I can try Harry," Susan replied with determination; and she began to gather the frightened children together and led them towards the back of the carriage. While Harry, Luna and Neville laid down a barrage of Stunners and Reductor Curses, Susan jumped off the back of the carriage and helped the young children into the high grass of the field. They crouched low as beams of red- and green light flashed through the air above them.

One young third-year boy, who Harry recognized from the Gryffindor common room, resisted Susan's efforts and wanted to stay and join the fight. Harry couldn't help but admire his Gryffindor spirit, but he knew that it would be far too dangerous for the young boy to stay. Susan however was not about to tolerate mutiny among her charges, and persuaded the boy that he needed to come along to help protect the younger children. With his pride restored, the boy helped Susan guide the other children to safety.

When Susan and her charges reached the comparative safety of the rocks, Harry, Luna and Neville began a hasty retreat from the nearly destroyed carriage and into the field, firing spells at the advancing Death Eaters as they did.

Susan had led the children, frightened first- and second year students all, behind the rocks to a place sheltered from spell fire. After directing the third-year boy to watch over the younger children, she climbed up in the rocks until she had a commanding view of the field below. Harry and the others were in the open, retreating slowly towards the rocks; while several Death Eaters were emerging from around each end of the battered carriage. Thinking fast, Susan started firing Reductor Curses at the ground in front of the Death Eaters, blasting large holes in the ground and sending a blinding curtain of dirt and dust up into the air. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction the three teens made a run for it. They just made the safety of the rocks when their opponents emerged from the dust, looking more dirty brown than black.

"Thanks Susan," Harry called up to where Susan was perched above them.

"Anytime Harry," she called back with a note of pride in her voice.

The eight Death Eaters had spread out in a line about five meters apart and were advancing confidently across the field. They had no fear of the weak curses taught to the students at Hogwarts. The Stunning Curses could be easily blocked with simple Shield Charms and the Reductors were so slow moving that they could be easily side-stepped. They had no idea that Harry and his friends had learned much more powerful spells in the past few weeks, and that ignorance would cost them dearly.

- o -

At that same time events in the field were unfolding Ron, Hermione and Ginny were walking towards the rear of the Hogwarts Express. The meeting with the Head Boy and Head Girl had been extremely tedious and dull. Ron remarked that the Head Girl was particularly long-winded, as she had gone over her personal expectations in excruciating detail.

"She's only trying to do her job, Ron." Hermione insisted, as she checked on the behavior of some rowdy third-years nearby.

"But she kept saying the same things over and over again. And why did she keep looking at me when she was talking about trouble-makers?" He asked in confusion.

"I guess your reputation precedes you big brother," Ginny said with a giggle.

"Well you and Harry do tend to get in quite a bit of trouble," Hermione answered logically.

"Well you're always with us," Ron answered defensively.

"I don't get caught as often," Hermione replied logically.

"Why did they have to pick a bookworm to be the Head Girl anyway?" Ron grumbled.

"There's nothing wrong with being a bookworm," Hermione shot back defensively and punched Ron in the side.

"I didn't mean you," Ron declared with a frown, as he rubbed his side.

At that moment they realized that they had reached the back of the train and they had not seen Harry or the others.

"You distracted me so much that we missed them," Ron declared and started back the way that they had come. But Hermione stood frozen on the spot, a concerned look on her face. Ginny, who had started to follow her brother, now stopped as well.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked, noticing that the two weren't following him.

"Ron, this train has eight carriages, and we've only come through seven. The last carriage is missing!" Hermione declared in panic, and she ran to the platform at the rear of the carriage.

"Look Ron. Someone has disconnected the last carriage," Hermione shouted as she pointed down at the melted hitch.

Suddenly Ron's attitude changed completely as his eyes widened in shock, and he ran to join Hermione. "We've got to get back there," Ron declared urgently.

"We've got to let Professor Dumbledore know. You and Ginny try to get some brooms and I'll see about contacting Dumbledore.

"How are you going to do that?" Ron asked, knowing that there was no floo connection on the Hogwarts Express.

"Professor Flitwick is somewhere on board," Hermione declared as she hurried up the aisle. Meanwhile Ginny had gone into a nearby compartment in search of three brooms that they could borrow

A few minutes later the three teens were in the air, flying swiftly back along the tracks on borrowed brooms. Hermione had been unable to locate the tiny charms instructor and instead had asked the trolley witch to apparate to Hogwarts and tell the Headmaster what had happened.

- o -

Meanwhile, twenty miles behind the Hogwarts Express, a battle was raging along a lonely stretch of track. In spite of the fact that they were outnumbered two to one, Harry and his friends had fought their opponents to a standstill. The rock fort in which they sheltered provided a strong defensive position which they were able to use to maximum benefit while the Death Eaters, on the other hand, were fighting from a field that was completely exposed. In spite of their numerical superiority, the followers of the Dark Lord were spending so much time dodging spells and throwing up temporary shields that they were unable to bring their full firepower to bear.

Susan Bones found that her initial tactic of using the Reductor Curse for distraction had proved remarkably successful, and from her position high in the rocks she continued using it to good effect against the advancing line of Death Eaters. Moving from one target to another, she blasted up great curtains of dirt and dust which effectively blinded her opponents and kept them out of the fight for several seconds.

After a few minutes the Death Eaters seemed to realize that they could make little progress while the girl was showering them with dirt, and three of them concentrated their attention exclusively on her. Using Reductor Curses the three men began to pulverize the bolder behind which Susan was sheltered, causing bits of rock to shatter with each impact and fly out like shrapnel.

Harry noticed that Susan's situation was becoming desperate, and shifted his fire to the three dark-robed figures. Taking a page out of Susan's book, he fired Reductors into the ground in front of them, and then fired several Bone-Breaking Curses into the cloud of dirt. Unable to see the incoming curses, the three men were struck before they even knew that they were under attack. When the dust cleared two of the men lay on the ground unconscious and the third was cradling his right arm, which was obviously broken.

The other Death Eaters stopped firing spells and stared at their downed comrades in surprise; having not expected such strong resistance and certainly not such powerful spells. The tallest of the Death Eaters, and quite clearly the leader, signaled his comrades to withdraw towards the burning train carriage. He had no intention of stopping the attack, but a frontal assault was clearly not going to work in these circumstances.

Taking advantage of the lull in the fighting Harry looked around to check on the condition of his own forces. Neville and Luna were standing at their posts with their wands at the ready, but when he looked up at Susan Bones he was shocked to the young girl slumped down behind a large boulder and covered in blood.

Harry gave a muffled cry and started to climb up the rocks to where Susan lay, Neville and Luna following close behind. When he reached her he saw that she was still conscious, but barely so. Her left hand was clamped over a deep gash on her right arm, and she looked as pale as ash.

"I guess I didn't duck in time," she whispered with a weak smile. Harry realized that she needed medical attention immediately, but he didn't have the faintest idea what to do. It was at that moment that Neville took charge.

"Move over Harry," Neville ordered as he quickly moved to Susan's side. He took his wand and held it just above the wound. "This may hurt a little," he whispered, and began mumbling a Sealing Charm. Susan closed her eyes tightly at the burning sensation, but she didn't cry out. When she opened her eyes again she saw that the wound had sealed itself.

"Thanks Neville," she whispered sincerely.

"What are friends for," Neville answered warmly. Then he turned to Harry and whispered, "She's lost a lot of blood; we need to get her to Madam Pomfrey as soon as we can."

"Let's get her down from here before they start up again. Luna, will you watch the field while Neville and I carry Susan down?" Harry asked seriously.

Luna nodded grimly, and turned back to survey the field for any activity. As the two boys helped Susan down from the rocks, both boys marveled at her courage. Harry could see that she was weak from loss of blood and was in a good deal of pain, but she refused to allow her friends to carry her. The young man silently vowed that if he ever heard anyone making negative remarks about Hufflepuffs again he would hex them until they wished they had never been born.

The two teens helped Susan to lie on the ground at the base of the rock pile and directed the third-year boy, who's name was Thomas, to take good care of her. Even though they knew that they had to get back to the rocks, the two boys took a moment to reassure the frightened children and exhorted them to be as brave as their friend Susan.

"It's a pity you two have girlfriends; I've always liked heroes." Susan said weakly as she tried to lighten the mood of the two boys. They smiled at their friend, and knew that she would be alright.

"Harry, I need you," Luna called in an anxious voice, and directed his attention to the field in front of them.

When the two boys reached their positions they saw that the six Death Eaters were advancing in a wide line towards them. Suddenly two of the black-robed figures disappeared with a pop, as the others started to fire Reductors at the teens.

"Watch out everyone; they're trying something," Harry shouted.

"Let's ward the area so the rest of them can't escape!" Luna called out; her voice ringing out over the sound of the spell fire.

"Good idea," Harry declared, and the three combined their magic to create a strong Anti-Apparation / Anti-Portkey Ward around their enemies. It was the first time that they had attempted to ward such a large area, but they were confident that they had cast the spell successfully. A moment later Harry saw the telltale silver shimmer in the air that told him that they had been successful. The Death Eaters were so busy firing spells that they never noticed the ward going up.

It was at that moment that Neville got an idea. "Fire, Harry," he shouted as he pointed at the tinder dry grass of the field.

"Brilliant Neville," Harry answered, and the three teens began using the Incendio Charm to ignite the dry grass in front of the advancing men. The wards effectively acted as a dome over the Death Eaters, keeping the heat and most of the smoke confined within that small area.

"Harry!" Susan shouted in alarm from behind them, and the young teen spun around just in time to see two Death Eaters moving towards the children. From where Susan lay on the ground she was firing spells at them, while trying to get the children to cover behind some boulders. But in her weakened condition she was no match for the two of them. Harry realized in a flash that the two Death Eaters who had apparated away earlier had actually moved to a position where they could attack from the rear.

Harry and Luna immediately jumped down to face the new threat while Neville used the Incendio Charm against the four men in front, who were already suffering from the dense smoke and heat. Luna's opponent was rather stocky and slow moving, and her quick reflexes allowed her to take him down with a Bone-Shattering Spell that propelled him backwards and left him unconscious. Harry meanwhile was involved in a serious duel with the second Death Eater, who was proving to be quite a match. The man seemed to instinctively know what spell Harry was going to use and where it would be targeted, and he countered each with rapid movement and effective shield work. But when Luna joined the fight the enemy was forced into a slow retreat; but even then he proved a worthy adversary. It finally became evident to the dark-robed figure that the fight was hopeless, and he disappeared just as two Bone Shattering Spells sliced through his position.

Not wasting a moment on thought, Harry and Luna rushed back to reinforce Neville. It was at that critical moment Macnair looked through the smoke and saw three figures on flying in on brooms from the north, and he knew that help had arrived. His current position was hopeless; with smoke preventing accurate fire and heat that was becoming unbearable. There was nothing to do but regroup and attack from a different direction; but even at that critical moment the thought of escape never entered his mind.

"Portkey," he ordered, and grabbed for the object in his robes. But to his horror nothing happened, and the fire was getting closer. "Apparate to the carriage!" He screamed, but that too failed.

"They've warded the area," Macnair yelled in startled disbelief. "We have to get outside the wards!" It was at that moment Neville fired a Bone-Breaking Curse that struck Macnair full in the chest, throwing him backwards a dozen meters and shattering most of his ribs. Without a leader the remaining Death Eaters abandoned their injured and tried to flee, using freezing charms to blast a passage through the flaming walls that surrounded them. But as they ran back towards the ruined train carriage they once again came under attack. Hermione, Ron and Ginny swept low over the blazing field firing Reductors and Bone-Breaking Curses at the retreating figures, further adding to their panic.

The last Death Eater in the line attempted to get off one last spell before he apparated away, but as he raised his wand he was struck by a Bone Breaking Curse fired by Hermione a second before. His wand exploded in a shower of red and blue sparks and every bone in his right arm and shoulder shattered simultaneously. With a howl of pain the man apparated away, leaving the field of battle to the seven teens.

Harry was amazed by how accurate his friend was firing from a moving broom, and by the fact that Ron was even able to get her on one in the first place. Harry well knew that Hermione Grainger hated to fly.

As soon as the Death Eaters started to flee Luna ran out from behind the shelter of the rocks and towards the fire. The other teens followed and using the Aguamenti Spell began to spray jets of water on the fires that were threatening to consume their injured opponents. Harry quickly Accioed their wands away while Neville started to restrain them using ropes he conjured using an Incarcerous Spell.

"No!" Luna shouted, and threw up a Protego Shield to block the ropes before they could reach the injured man.

"Luna, what are you doing?" Neville demanded angrily.

"They're hurt, we have to help them," she declared, stepping between Neville and the prostrate man.

"He's a Death Eater; he's like a rabid dog," Neville shouted in anger.

"He's a human being," Luna declared, a tear appearing on her cheek.

"Luna's right," Harry said forcefully. "Keep your wands on them but try to treat their injuries." Luna smiled at him appreciatively and dropped to her knees next to their helpless opponent. A quick numbing spell and the man's moaning ceased, and he lay quietly on the ground. As Harry watched Luna treat their injured enemy he couldn't help but admire her compassion. Voldemort and his minions were controlled by hatred, but that would never happen to Luna.

Hermione and Ron joined their friends after they had finished extinguished the fire, while Ginny went over to check on Susan and calm the younger children.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked Harry with concern.

"Just fine thanks to you; how did you find us?" Harry asked.

"You can see that column of smoke for miles," Ron declared as he pointed at the still smoking train carriage.

Marcus Flint, the one time captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, lay on the ground gritting his teeth in pain; the bones of his right arm and leg shattered in several places. It had been his first assignment for the Dark Lord and he had failed miserably. But as he considered the likely fate of his comrades who had escaped he almost preferred a stay in Askaban; the Dark Lord did not accept failure well.

"May I look at your arm?" a soft voice asked.

Marcus Flint looked up into a pair of large silver-grey eyes. His normal instinct would be to maintain the Death Eater persona, and to order the girl away. But there was something about her gentle eyes that compelled her to accept his offer, and he nodded his head slightly.

Even on his broken arm her hands felt gentle, as she worked to ease his pain and immobilize his broken limb. He looked up to see Ron Weasley standing above him, his wand at the ready and hate evident in his eyes. But when he looked into the eyes of the young girl who was tending him all he could see was compassion and a need to ease his pain. Minutes before he had been prepared to kill without hesitation and destroy anyone who opposed him; but now he felt rather ashamed of that willingness. He had become a Death Eater because his family had been supporters of the Dark Lord; but now he was almost glad that he had failed.

"Did that hurt?" she asked with concern.

"No…no it's alright," Flint answered in a whisper, unwilling to betray his wonder at her compassion.

He glanced over at Harry Potter. 'Did Potter even know that the Dark Lord had targeted this young girl specially? Did he have any idea the torture that his Master would subject the girl to if he captured her?' Suddenly Marcus Flint felt sick to his stomach.

"That should take care of you until a proper medi-witch can examine it," she said gently.

He raised his eyes and locked them onto hers. "Thank you," he said sincerely as he made a decision that might cost him his life.

She gave him a warm smile and moved on to his injured comrade who lay unconscious nearby.

He looked again towards Harry Potter. "Potter," he called in a hoarse whisper and jerked his head. Harry walked over stiffly and looked down at the prostrate man.

"Guard her carefully, the Dark Lord knows about her and wants her," Flint said gravely as he looked toward Luna.

Harry looked at his old Quidditch opponent in shock. "Thank you, Marcus," he whispered in disbelief.

"You're welcome, Harry," Flint responded, and lay back on the grass. Suddenly he felt better about himself than he had in a long time, even if he was destined for Askaban.

Seconds later Albus Dumbledore and a squad of Aurors appeared in the field. As they looked round at the devastated area, and the captured Death Eaters, they were totally shocked. The only member of the rescue party that wasn't surprised was Nymphadora Tonks, who smiled with pride at her recent pupils.

A few minutes later Harry called Nymphadora over for a private word and told her what Flint had said.

"Is there any chance for him?" Harry asked.

"Maybe; do you want him to have a chance?" Tonks asked seriously.

Harry thought for a moment. "Yes, I do," he answered honestly.

Tonks nodded to him and went to join the other members of her team.

The injured Death Eaters were taken into Ministry custody and whisked away for interrogation, while at the same time the younger students and Susan Bones was transported by portkeys to the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, arriving three hours before the Hogwarts Express. Soon the field was empty except for the six teens, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and two Aurors.

At that moment a gold and crimson Phoenix appeared in a blaze of fire and flew to Albus Dumbledore's shoulder. The Headmaster paused, and then a look of real urgency appeared on his face.

"We have to go, the Ministry is under attack!" Dumbledore declared fiercely, and then turned to Professor McGonagall. "Take them back to Hogwarts and alert the staff."

"We want to go too!" Harry declared fiercely.

"No, I need the six of you at the school. If we fail to stop him at the Ministry, Voldemort will attack Hogwarts next, and I need you all there to help protect the younger children," the Headmaster said firmly.

With that he and the two Aurors apparated away to join what was already a fierce battle. Minerva picked a piece of rope off the ground and transformed it into a portkey that would take them all back to Hogwarts. Harry could tell that she wanted to go with the Headmaster, but her sense of duty demanded that she return to the school to protect the students.

All seven of them took hold of the rope and a moment later felt the familiar sensation of the portkey being activated.