Harry and Luna spent the next week in the hospital wing. Harry wasn't overly happy with having to stay stuck inside, but had brightened considerably when Madam Pomfrey had grudgingly allowed the two injured teens to sleep together – and even McGonagall had to smile when he saw her two students snuggled comfortably against each other, deeply asleep with identical smiles on their faces. Not everything following Dumbledore's death had been quite so cut-and-dry however; Ron and Ginny had managed to create an uproar in the Weasley household by writing to one Miss Mollywobbles and informing her of Harry and Luna's relationship – a matter which had promptly been dealt with by bringing the furious woman into Hogwarts and obliviating her. The rest of the school – bar Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff seventh years along with the majority of the staff – had agreed to allow McGonagall to suppress their memories of the previous night; although Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini had put up quite a fight.
The story which the press, Ministry and memory charmed students were told was that Dumbledore had taken a leave of absence to attend to some urgent business, and that Minerva McGonagall had been left the acting Headmistress of the school. Neville and Hermione had been the couples' first visitors, and had gasped when they saw Harry's heavily bandaged arm – to which he sheepishly told them that it'd heal with a few scars. Neville had brought the two a plant he had been breeding in the school's greenhouse, and the two injured teens had sighed happily at the pleasant fragrance that it gave off – pleased that they could no longer smell the sterile aroma of the hospital wing. Hermione had snuck in Dilys and Armando's portraits, and had looked incredibly guilty when Madam Pomfrey asked her if she was behaving herself.
Slowly the pair begun to recover, and at the end of the week they were finally discharged from the hospital wing – with orders to head straight to McGonagall's office. Both Harry and Luna would have preferred to forego the meeting and reacquaint themselves in their dormitory, but rules were rules and neither of them wanted to get on the new Headmistress's bad side – and so they found themselves sat at a large table in what used to be Dumbledore's office, looking nervously around at all of the assembled teachers. As soon as McGonagall entered, Snape stood up from his seat angrily and pointed furiously at the two seated teens. "Minerva, I demand that these two children be removed from this meeting at once."
Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrow and sat herself at the head of the table before saying anything to the infuriated potions teacher. "You demand that I remove them, do you? Remember just who you are talking to." Snape looked completely taken aback at her tone, and sat back down in his chair – his face thunderous. Minerva gave her colleague one last glance before starting the meeting. "Due to recent circumstances, some changes have had to me made to the school." Everybody but Snape shared knowing glances, and both Luna and Harry received several slightly fearful – but respectful looks. The Scottish woman summoned a folder of parchment and carefully plucked the first from its covers. "The wards around Hogwarts have been severely damaged; from what we cannot be sure, but we have hired Gringotts to repair the damage."
"Headmistress, shouldn't the matter of why the wards were broken be looked into further? Surely it is a danger if it cannot be prevented?"
McGonagall looked at Luna with a flicker of surprise, but nodded when she realised what she was doing. "You are correct Miss Lovegood, which is why we also have the Ministry on the grounds conducting research." The young blonde nodded, and smiled when she felt Harry's hand wrap around her own under the table. McGonagall noticed the identical grins on the two students' faces, and decided to continue rather than bring attention to it in front of Severus. "Additionally, Fawkes is standing guard around the castle; intercepting any mail that contains information about our currently damaged defences – if Voldemort discovered the state out school was in, an attack would be inevitable."
Snape seemed about to interject about Fawkes' presence in the school; having been the only person Dumbledore had told about the Phoenix's desertion, but quickly quietened when he saw the two young magicians looking at him. McGonagall looked at Tonks and Remus, a plaintive expression on her face. "I'm afraid that – once again – the curse of the Defence Against the Dark Arts curse seems to continue. Remus has responsibilities that come above that of teaching," Both Harry and Luna glanced at one another; understanding that he would be working with the Order to track down their last remaining enemy, "and so will be leaving us from tonight. Tonks will also be leaving her Arithmancy post for the same reasons, and her absence will be effective immediately after this meeting has finished."
Harry glanced over at the couple, and gave them a thankful nod – which the two teachers returned with a smile. "Minerva, may I nominate myself for the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts, I feel I would be sufficient as a teacher."
Minerva looked at Severus and nodded. "I agree that you certainly have a sound knowledge on the subject of the Dark Arts, and I also agree that you would make a sufficient teacher for the subject – so yes, you may nominate yourself." Snape's happy leer turned into a frown at her words; having anticipated receiving the position immediately, and sat down looking more than a little irritated. Minerva turned back to the staff. "So two of our best teachers will be leaving us tonight – and they will both be sorely missed. I have often heard of students enjoying Tonks' energetic lessons, and Remus' engaging and hands-on Defence course; and finding replacements that match both their skill and respect with the students will be very hard."
She paused for a moment to rifle through the thick folder, and proceeded to pull two smaller folders from it. She pulled the first one onto the desk in front of her, and opened its front cover. "Luna Marie Lovegood. Since beginning at Hogwarts she had displayed an aptitude for drawing some criticism in regards some of the creatures she so often mentions – all of whom actually exist but just haven't been publicly recognized." Harry chuckled lightly and placed his hand on the blonde's knee; remembering when she had first introduced him to the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks in her family's forest. "Although teachers have often commented that her attention always seems elsewhere in their classes, Luna achieves very highly on all of her examinations – and recently scored above 99% on a NEWT Arithmancy test."
This drew a number of gasps from all of the teachers, and Luna blushed lightly. McGonagall smiled at her modesty, and continued with an even more astounding fact. "The one question which she got wrong, in fact wasn't wrong at all. Miss Lovegood in fact discovered a flaw in the question which has been in use for over twenty seven years, and in fact would have scored full marks if the Ministry weren't stubborn enough to dispel her corrections because she was a student." Loud scoffing followed that, and quite a few derogatory comments were aimed at the Minister's meddling. McGonagall conveniently seemed to not hear the curses, and then dropped the bomb shell. "She has – with my permission and supervision – passed her NEWTs with the second highest recorded score in Hogwarts history, and as such will graduate at the end of the year with her seventh years. As such, I nominate her for the position of Arithmancy teacher at Hogwarts."
Open mouths, and shocked looks faced the Headmistress' suggestion – including Harry and Luna's. McGonagall noted the seeming lack of objections and smiled. "Well then Miss Lovegood, it would seem that you have been offered the post of Arithmancy teacher at Hogwarts."
Harry had gotten over the shock first, and squeezed her hand tightly before grinning at her. She looked up at him with a silent question in her eyes, and he nodded firmly. "I know it's something you've always thought of doing."
She looked back at McGonagall, and with only the smallest of pauses, nodded. "I'll do it."
The Headmistress nodded happily at the young woman's decision and vanished her portfolio with a flick of her hand. "Excellent, I assume that you will be up to the challenge of dropping your classes and begin teaching tomorrow?"
"Yes Headmis- Minerva" She corrected herself when she caught a stern glance from the Scottish woman.
"Good. Now, onto the next matter; the Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching position." She shuffled through some papers again and drew out another folder, placing it next to the remaining one on the desk. "I did have only one choice for the teacher, but now I am faced with a dilemma."
She flicked open the latest folder and her eyes whizzed over the paper – frowning at quite a few notes that seemed to have been made. "Severus Snape – you have taught potions at this school for sixteen years, and Defence Against the Dark Arts for one. During that time, I have noticed that the only students that seem to excel in your classes are those which have been sorted into Slytherin." Severus' mouth opened to interject, but he was quickly hushed by a glare from the new Headmistress. "Additionally, your notes about why certain points were deducted from students' Houses are more than a little concerning. Take…" She flicked through some notes, and then stopped at a certain entry, her finger pointing at some scribbled writing on the parchment. "Five points taken from Hermione Granger for being an insufferable know-it-all." She glanced up at the glaring Potions Master. "I know for a fact that Hermione would not flaunt her knowledge – she is very modest."
She slammed the folder firmly shut, and then pushed it aside before picking up the last folder on her desk. She flicked the cover open with her wand; unlocking the spells keeping it locked, and pursed her lips as she read over its contents. "Harry James Potter-"
"I object Minerva!"
She once again raised her eyebrows as the Slytherin. "On what grounds Severus?"
He glared over at the raven-haired boy, who stared coolly back. "Such an arrogant and useless student should not be given the privilege of teaching here – he's just like his father; all talk, no brains or skill."
Harry gritted his teeth at the last part, and was about to interject with some fairly heated comments when McGonagall threw a piece of parchment at the man. Harry watched as his eyes widened, completely disbelieving at what was written on the paper, and McGonagall continued. "As I was saying, Miss Lovegood has the second highest score in her NEWT exams at this school – and only missed out on a perfect score by the one question in her Arithmancy examination. Harry Potter however, not only made corrections to the problem, but also provided the incorrect answer they were looking for – and they were forced to give him the mark. You are, Severus Snape, sitting in the presence of the first person to ever score full marks in their NEWTs."
For the second time that day, all the eyes in the room swivelled to look at Harry and Luna – but this time Harry's eyes were the widest of the lot, and he nearly missed the Headmistress's next words. "Although on the surface you would seem to be the logical choice for this position Severus, I am afraid that you are more versed in the Dark Arts rather than in the defence of them. Harry Potter has on numerous occasions proven his worth in this manner – defeating the Dark Lord several times, and a very powerful dark Wizard in recent weeks."
"Who?" He hissed.
The tall Scotsman ignored his question, and turned again to Harry, who by this point had a fair idea of what was going to happen, and who was only broken from his shocked reverie by a subtle dig in the ribs that Luna delivered to him. "So Harry, how would you like to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts?"
The moment the couple were out of the office, Luna pushed him against the nearest wall and snogged him absolutely senseless. "Harry, you got full marks!"
He laughed and pulled her to his chest, resting against the stone wall behind him to stop his legs from collapsing. "You did as well Luna; they just didn't give you the mark – even though they should have." He squeezed her tighter. "Your mother would be proud."
It was almost like a secret mission; but even so, the move from their normal dorms into their new Teacher's quarters garnered quite a lot of attention from the students in-between classes. The first person to catch sight of the pair was Hermione, who rushed over, a worried look on her face. "Where have you two been? Neville and I went to visit you in the hospital wing before classes and you were gone, Madam Pomfrey wouldn't tell us where you had disappeared to!"
Harry was about to explain, but saw Ron making a beeline for their position. With a wink that left much to the imagination, he whispered to the bushy-haired Witch. "You'll see tomorrow."
The red-head joined the small group and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Harry and Luna. "Why are you two together again?"
"Just running some errands for McGonagall actually Ron; Luna can't apparate so I'm her transport for the day – she needs to pick up some magical creatures for Hagrid, and I'm absolutely pants at remembering the names of the darn things." His eyes still narrowed, he grunted in agreement, and a minute later, Hermione and Ron left to head to their next class.
Fawkes ran interference with the Weasley family for the rest of the day – although there were a few close misses with levitating couches and Ginny at around midday. Finally, just as dinner was beginning, the engaged couple collapsed onto their couch in front of the roaring fire with identical sighs of relief. They looked around their miniature common room in satisfaction, deciding to go with the colours of Ravenclaw for decoration and leaving the comforting reds and yellows of Gryffindor for their bedroom. Dobby popped in about halfway through their snuggling session to deliver their dinner, and the poor house elf nearly cried when Harry and Luna invited him to stay for dinner. The three companions thoroughly enjoyed their roast chicken, and Dobby did cry when both of the young teachers pulled him into a hug and told him to visit whenever he wanted. Finally they were completely alone – even Fawkes having gone for the night to watch the Gringotts goblins at work, and Harry tenderly wrapped his arm around his fiancé's waist – who intertwined her fingers with his and relaxed into his chest.
Quietly the couple discussed their next day at Hogwarts, not as students but as teachers. Luna decided to teach her students Harry's methods in Arithmancy to prepare them for their upcoming examinations, while the raven-haired man resolved to teach all of his classes – even the first years – about the Unforgivable Curses, and ways to fight them. It was with smiles on their faces that the two fell asleep on the couch that night, ready for the beginning of the rest of their lives.
Harry stood at the front of the Defence Against the Dark Arts room feeling strangely out of place. He had never stood at the front of the class before, except when he had been pulled up by Snape and ridiculed, and he wondered just what it would be like when all of the empty seats in front of him filled up with his first class of the year. He had seen Luna off that morning with a lingering kiss that promised more when they finished for the day, and had immediately met with McGonagall to tell him, and get her permission, for his plans for the day. Afterwards, he had come to the quiet room – making sure that he had at least an hour to prepare for the first years. He looked down at his jeans and white top with a chuckle – what would they all think?
With a wave of his hand, the room lightened considerably, and Harry fixed the wards in place – the darkness that the room had gained a reputation for, gone at long last. Over the next half an hour, Harry worked to make the room something that Hogwarts had never seen before. He pulled information that he remembered Hermione telling him about the enchanted main dining hall, the moving staircases, and even some of Fawkes' memories from the two founders he had been bonded to. At the end of his work, Harry looked proudly around at his new creation. The roof was no longer a roof, but faded off into a sunny sky which brightened the room even more, and warmed the air around him with a comforting heat. The windows that had been peering out at the dreary lake of Hogwarts now looked out upon a meadow which very much resembled the Lovegood's, and the room was draped with colourful material that represented the unity of the houses of Hogwarts.
Harry was just putting his hands on his hips with a feeling of accomplishment, when a timid head poked in the door of the room. Harry looked at the young girl as her small mouth dropped in amazement, and her clear blue eyes widened to the size of saucers. She stepped into the room and looked up at the clear sky in complete awe, and it was several minutes before she realized that Harry was standing at the front of the class. Immediately she shied away, and averted her eyes – which reminded the raven-haired Wizard fondly of a younger Hermione. "You're here awfully early."
He said lightly, and the young girl glanced nervously up – surprised when she saw just who the young man was. "You're Harry Potter!" She said confidently, and Harry laughed at the complete 'Hermioneness' of the Ravenclaw's tone.
"Yes I am, but you still haven't answered my question; classes don't start for another thirty minutes."
The young girl looked down nervously and muttered something that Harry only caught because of a charm he had cast around the room. "I like to study in the mornings, and Professor Moody always helped me with it."
Harry levitated one of the chairs to beside his desk at the front and smiled friendly at the studious young Witch. When the rest of the class filed in, he noticed much the same gasps of awe from the students, but continued speaking to the young girl until the class had finally settled into their seats. Once again, Harry caught some comments towards the girl sitting beside him that made him frown, and he finally closed the conversation with Lisa – as she had told him – before allowing her to walk to her seat. Five minutes of silence followed before one of the boys piped up from the back – apparently thinking that Harry – seeming like just a seventh year – would not reprimand him for slandering the blue-eyed Ravenclaw. "So, stupid little Lisa had to come and get extra tutoring."
"And that will be five points from Gryffindor." Harry stepped forwards, and the students stared back at him in shock. He fixed the young Wizard with a stare. "There will be no cussing in my class – especially when it is not deserved. Tell me, what is the counter-curse for Avada Kedavra?"
The boy spluttered for a few moments, and Harry instead turned to the apparently 'stupid little Lisa' for her opinion. Quietly, she answered. "There is no counter-curse."
Harry nodded and smiled. "Correct: five points to Ravenclaw. The Killing Curse is the only curse which cannot be blocked, is that right?" He pointed to one of the boys at the back of the class that looked like he was dozing. Apparently flustered at having been called upon, the young Wizard quickly answered that yes, it was. Harry smiled to himself – it reminded him of himself when he was younger. "Generally correct-"
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" A yell came from the back of the room, and the majority of the students screamed as the green flash flew overhead, only to be absorbed by a dark yellow shield which Harry had erected.
With a smile and a cherry "Thank you," to the Headmistress at the door – who nodded and left, Harry continued with his speech. "But not so." For the next hour, Harry – much to the shock of all of the students – taught them the basics of the evil curses, and promised them more the following day. The same occurred with the rest of his classes; the students would enter, look around in awe, and then be subjected to Harry's introduction speech – which always finished with McGonagall poking her head in the door and casting the killing curse at the new teacher.
The one class which didn't receive the same treatment was the mixed Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff seventh year Defence Against the Dark Arts class who he had for a double period, and had requested specifically for the rest of the year. The had all filed in, with the same looks of awe, but had a much different reaction to seeing Harry sitting on the stairs at the front of the class. Ron rushed up and clapped Harry on the back, while Harry glanced at the cross-armed Hermione who looked positively thunderous behind him. "Harry mate, where have you been?"
The green-eyed boy looked the red-head right in the eye. "Here."
"Here mate, what do you mean?"
"I mean five points from Gryffindor for interrupting the start of the lesson Ron." Harry stood from his stair and walked over to the blackboard, waving his hand slightly and allowing the chalk to race across the board – leaving a neat "Professor Potter" on its black surface. Ron nearly packed himself right there and then, but Hermione had managed to drag him to his seat before herself looking up at Harry in shock. Harry let a smile crack over his face at the shocked looks. "Okay, let's just call each other by a first name basis in this class. Hermione, I am guessing that you are wondering what the hell I'm doing – as are, judging by the expressions in the room, most of you. I assure you that I am only doing what I am qualified to do – and according to Minerva that is to teach."
"What?"
Harry ignored the red-haired Weasley, and smiled warmly at the rest of the class. "It won't be so different to what we're all used to I imagine – but I assume that you would have all had the immense pleasure of Luna as your Arithmancy teacher today?" A few nods answered his question, and he smiled. "Well both Luna and I have been offered, and have accepted the positions of Professors at Hogwarts – as we both passed out NEWTs early this year with flying colours."
"Bollocks!"
"Another five points from Gryffindor Ronald, if you keep up you rude outbursts then you, singlehandedly, could cause the downfall of our great and mighty House." With a lingering glare, Harry clapped his hands happily. "But onto the lesson. I needn't remind you that a certain red-head is not privy to information concerning a week ago, so let's just refrain from mentioning anything about it. Now – Unforgivable curses."
Quickly, the three curses – along with an additional fourth that nobody had seen before – wrote themselves on the board, and Harry pointed to Neville. "I know for a fact that you have – unfortunately – had experiences involving the Cruciatus, and so I will not ask you to perform it. I would however, ask that you use the Imperius curse on me."
"But Harry-"
"I assure you that I have permission to do this Neville." He grinned. "I ask only that you be lenient in the tasks you try to make me undertake."
With more than a little apprehension on his face, Neville stood from his chair and pointed his wand at Harry. "Imperio!"
Harry stood stock-still, and Neville's face was contorted with effort, until his wand dropped and he fell puffing back into his chair. Harry smiled warmly at him. "Excellent effort Neville, I did have to try to not run around acting like a monkey, I assure you." The class laughed at Neville's red face, and Hermione patted him comfortingly on the shoulder, chuckling lightly.
For the next half an hour, Harry had the class pair off and try to resist each other's Imperius curses. By the end of the thirty minutes, virtually every student who had undergone the Occlumency training managed to resist the curse for up to five minutes, an achievement which Harry was very happy with. Ron had no such luck, but the green-eyed Wizard wasn't really paying much attention to him. "Excellent effort guys – and girls. Being able to resist the Imperius curse can save you, your family and your friends – and you're well on the way to resisting it completely. The next curse is a little more…damaging. All of you will be aware of what the Cruciatus curse does, and I am warning you right now that we will be performing the curse." He glanced subtly at Neville before speaking again. "You will be subjected to the curse – for a small moment – and so if you wish to leave for the next half-hour I invite you to do so; absolutely no hard feelings."
Harry watched as Hermione took Neville's hand in hers, and a determined look spread across his friend's face. Looking over the rest of the class, he summoned a case of chocolate frogs by his desk and nodded. "In line please. Come up one by one and I will cast the curse. Make sure to grab a chocolate on your way back to your seat – it eases the aches significantly." The screams and whimpers that echoed out in the room were horrible, but Harry could see in their eyes a new appreciation for people who had been subject to it for more than a second – and he then had them perform the curse on human-like dolls that he had conjured; which registered a 'hit' if the curse was powerful enough to cause the excruciating pain which the curse brought with it.
The Avada Kedavra was demonstrated only by Harry – who had Hermione cast it at him, and he had warned that none of them should try and deflect the killing curse themselves – even in a controlled environment. It was with much mystery and whispering – even from Hermione – that they came to the last curse. The words "'Abyssus in terra' Curse" written in large lettering on the board. Harry frowned when he saw that it was time to cover it - the only curse he had not shown his other years – and turned seriously to the class. "I have classified this curse as an Unforgivable."
Hermione put up her hand, and Harry nodded. "I've never heard of it before."
He noted the confused and slightly irritated expression on her face and chuckled humourlessly. "I can see that you find that more than a little infuriating Hermione, but I assure you that once you have seen what it is, you will be glad it's not in any books. The reason that it is not in a book is because I developed it."
"Harry!"
"It was necessary Hermione." She sat back down, taken aback by his scathing tone, and he took a deep breath to calm himself. "I hated, and still hate the thought of such a thing existing, and so I am about to ask you a question – a question that I want you to answer honestly. When the final battle against Voldemort and his Death Eaters occurs, who in here intends to do a job that does not require you to be on the battlefield?"
About half the hands in the class slowly rose, and Harry nodded appreciatively. "Good. For the remaining people who do intend to fight directly against the Dark Forces, do you have somebody in this room that you love and trust implicitly?" Harry saw a few Witches and Wizards glance at each other but noticed that some people shook their heads. He asked them whether they were somewhere else in the school and, upon receiving nods, gave them all notes to take their trusted person from any class they were attending. Once they had all left, Harry turned to Ron – who hadn't raised his hand at all. "And what do you intend to do Ron?"
"This is bullshit Harry! I don't want to fight, I just want to be a professional Quidditch player – is that too much to ask mate?"
"No, now get out of my class." With a thump, Ron was launched out of the door to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and it slammed with a loud bang. Harry turned again to the assembled people. "Who here is not going to fight and is not the trusted person for somebody in this room?" Several hands went up and Harry nodded to the door to his office behind them. "In there will be your new classroom for the rest of the term; I'm sure you'll find your teacher very competent." Looking slightly confused, the handful of students disappeared from sight, and Harry turned back to the assembled group – which had grown now that the students had returned from other classes with their loved ones – none of whom seemed to be family Harry noted with a slight frown.
He briefly told the newcomers why they were there, and then turned very serious as he addressed them. "Who in here will fight, and is also a trusted one?" Once again, sever all people – including Neville and Hermione – raised their hands. He nodded. "I ask that during the time that you are under the curse you keep reasonably close to one another – within ten meters I would suggest; afterwards you are going to want to be next to each other as soon as humanly possible." Once the couples had paired together he turned to the remaining group. "All those who are not in this year; you will not fight, and therefore I ask that you wait in my office with the Healers once I have finished talking – but not before taking once of these coins which will portkey you to your loved ones when you are needed." He pointed to a small bag beside his desk and received nods of understanding.
With a series of pops that he was expecting, Arthur, Fred, George, Bill, Fleur, Remus, Tonks, Hagrid and Minerva all appeared with their loved ones – some of which were also in the secret Order group. The students looked taken aback by their sudden appearance, and Harry turned back to the class. "The Witches and Wizards behind me will also be fighting with us against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, which is why they are here." He motioned that they should join the class, and then looked gravely at each trusted one in turn. "When you next see your loved ones, they will be different from what you see them as now. When I first experienced what you will experience, I couldn't talk for nearly an entire hour afterwards, and even then the shaking continued.
"What you experience today will be even worse – and even Luna and I have only experienced it ten times, and yet we still find ourselves shaken afterwards – and trust me when I say that that is saying something." He looked over the assembled group once again. "When you see them, you might be horrified at how shaken they are, but they will need you to look past that and be beside them. This is your last chance to pull out – once we start doing this, I will continue subjecting you to this curse until it no longer fazes you. You will feel burning, and pain that I can only liken to the Cruciatus, and will see things that will be with you until you die – but with the love which I can see all of you hold for one another, you will be able to heal from it." He looked over the faces of the people in front of him, and felt an immense pride when none of them backed down. He nodded. "The thing to remember is that it is all an illusion, no matter how much it feels like reality. If you are not participating, please go into my office, and remember to take a portkey on your way."
Harry and the warriors watched as the stream of people filed into his office, and everyone jumped at the very final clang when the door shut behind them. Harry turned to the assembled group of about fifty and sighed. "Last chance guys…" After five seconds of silence he nodded. "Okay then. Everybody who can apparate – take somebody who can't and apparate onto the Quidditch Pitch." Once they all disappeared, Harry mentally went through his link to Luna. "I'm going to need you down there."
In the staffroom, which was quite empty apart from Professor Snape, Luna sat up from her seat and squeezed through the apparation-space onto the Quidditch field, where Harry caught her in his arms and lowered her to the ground before facing everybody. "I will now cast the curse. Please be aware that none of you will need to be able to do this yourselves, I will be the one casting it over the battlefield where we face Voldemort. At their nods, Harry closed his eyes. "Ready yourselves, and spread out." Once he felt Luna squeeze his hand he forcefully broke through his limiters and cast the curse, forcing the memory he and Luna had modified - to be even more horrifying than it already had been – into the air around the Quidditch stadium.
Harry knew it had worked when he felt the flames licking his skin, and he had to force himself not to scream in pain. Slowly he cracked open his eyes, and the hell that he had created filled his eyes. He could felt as if his eyes were burning in their sockets, but forced the horror and pain back to look around him. Burning flesh hung from the ruins of what used to be the Quidditch towers, and he nearly vomited when he saw Luna hung, dead, from one of the hoops far above him – only managing to stay sane by reminding himself that she was standing near him. He stood from his kneeling position and breathed in the air that felt like acid to his lungs, and he began walking through the horrors around him. Some of them were too ghastly to even describe, and the demons above screamed terrifyingly at his, and his friends' pain, horror and suffering. He braved the horrific plane for the next twenty minutes – coming across his students and teachers screaming in agony every minute – but knowing that they had to face it themselves. Slowly a flaming figure through a pile of flaming entrails, and he reached out to grab Luna's hand – clutching her to his chest when he felt her cool skin against his own.
He began muttering in Latin, furiously gathering the power he needed to break through the illusion, before snapping open his eyes and yelling furiously at the hell around them. In a mere second, the illusion disappeared like dust in the wind, and Harry immediately raised his hand, calling to the portkeys even before evaluating the condition of his fellow Witches and Wizards. With a flash, the group which had been waiting anxiously in his office appeared in the middle of the grassy field, and took in the sight with looks of fright. The people who had come through the illusion lay spread out around the field – although Harry noticed that several had dragged themselves over to their partners – blood seeping from the wounds they had inflicted upon themselves – trying to rip the burning skin away with their fingers, and vomiting onto the ground.
True to their promise however, the shocked group rushed to the sides of their loved ones and immediately clung to them. The recovery of the entire group took over an hour, although Harry and Luna had managed to pull away from the terror within only minutes, but both of them knew that before the night was done a lot more tears would be shed as they recollected their time in the hell on Earth. Slowly Harry led them all back into the centre of the green field, and he sat in the middle of the assembled group, silent for a few minutes before speaking. "Dumbledore gave that memory to Luna in an attempt to stop her from loving me." Hermione's pained eyes shot up to look at the softly-spoken Ravenclaw who was holding to Harry's hand, shocked. "And this is what we will fight Voldemort and his followers in. We will fight where we will send them. They say they are fearless, but I doubt that even Voldemort will be safe from this horror."
He turned to McGonagall, who had tears running down her cheeks, and her husband who had apparated with her with his arm around her shoulders. "I think Minerva, that we should allow an exception for these students to be exempt from the 'sleeping together' rule for the entirety of their training; they will need their loved ones more than ever."
At her nod, Harry summoned a small, black case which he had ordered from Knockturn Alley the previous night. He opened the top of it and slowly begun handing out small vials with black liquid inside. "Dreamless sleep," he explained. "I found that even this doesn't stop the nightmares though – but it will dampen and calm them considerably." He looked at Hermione. "I suggest you all take it until you begin to get used to the battlefield on which we will fight – and even then…" He handed a vial to Luna and then pocketed the last one himself. "I will provide you with the potion at the end of each session. If you require anything, and I mean anything, do not hesitate to see either me or Luna; we both feel horribly guilty for even subjecting you to such a curse." Knowing that none of them would be ready to speak for probably another hour, he nodded to them all. "Once we have finished this, everyone will know of your sacrifice. Please take the rest of the day off – the first time is always the worst."
"Neville, forget the demons – get the targets!" Hurriedly the black-haired Gryffindor tore his gaze away from the horrific demon that was circling above him, and cast a blasting hex at one of the Death Eater targets that Harry had summoned. "Good! Seamus, keep up the pace! Parvati, keep your eyes of that burning – well whatever it is, Luna – watch your back!" Harry flitted furiously around the battlefield, completely ignoring the disgusting smells and sights around him, and yelling to his teammates. "Hagrid, now!"
Outside of the Quidditch pitch, and so out of the influence of the curse, Hagrid let seven of the largest, most brutal dragons he had ever seen from their cages and into the protective shields surrounding the hellfield, and ran to Professor Sprout who apparated him out of there as fast as she could – just as Harry had sold her to. Immediately from inside the shields, Harry expanded the field of hell to cover not only the Quidditch pitch, but indeed the entire school grounds. Students in the main castle watched in absolute awe and astonishment as they watched the small black dots in the – to them – completely normal Quidditch pitch fired amazingly intense spells at the creatures, and unseen enemies. What it was like for the people inside the battleground however, was very different. As soon as the onyx-black Dragons entered the illusion, they were immediately in their element – and the eyes of his friends had widened at the sight. Almost immediately however, they all began to fight like they had trained, clearly under no illusions that the dragons they were seeing were not illusions, and that their lives were really in danger. Shielding each other from the intense blasts of fire, the Witches and Wizards leaped forward, their eyes blazing and their wands and hands flashing with power.
Harry leapt onto the ruins of a three-storey building, and screamed a curse in his mind that ripped through one of the Dragon's armour as if it didn't even exist. Infuriated that it had been injured, the dragon whipped its head around to face Harry, and he pulled his shields into existence just before he was engulfed in white-hot flames, singing his clothes and melting the rock surrounding him like it was butter. He felt his shields losing their power, and was just about to jump out of the way when he felt several people join his side, and bolster his defences. He turned his head and grinned when he saw Luna, Neville, Cho and Hermione standing beside him. "I need a boost!"
Neville nodded and took a step back from the shields holding his arm out to Harry. The raven-haired Wizard gripped firmly onto his friend's forearm. "Where to Harry?" He yelled over the flames. Harry stabbed his finger furiously at the Dragon's head above him. "Are you kidding me?"
Harry shook his head furiously, and Neville groaned. Slowly his arm turned blue and small flames begun to lick at the two men's sleeves. The entire school watched in absolute awe and astonishment when – with a small, blinding flash – one of the small black pinpricks that they had realized only moments before were actually Wizards, flew upwards towards the massive dragon's head, only just missing several bursts of flame from the other dragons as he flew. Harry felt the wind flying through his hair, and blasted several of the flying daemons that were surrounding him away before turning his attention to the red-eyed, black-scaled beast head in front of him. With a roar that resembled that of the dragon's, Harry raised his hand and ploughed it directly into the head of the demonic creature, before taking hold and ripping himself downwards – his body surrounded by a blue aura. Neville, Cho, and indeed every other student that was watching, held their breaths.
The fighters broke away from the sight and rushed to help their other teammates in need – but hurriedly turned around when a massive blast shook the ground. The dragon which had angered one Mr Potter collapsed to the ground with a thunderous boom that even upset the other Dragons, and from the steaming crater at the base of the beast emerged Harry Potter – glowing blue and with dragon blood running down his arms. He ran towards his team, blasting through apparation-space to get there, and immediately joined them in fighting the five remaining creatures. For two hours the battle raged, until finally the last dragon fell, and Harry collapsed the field with a swipe of his hand.
Every single student that had been watching the spectacle had gathered outside the school gates, and slowly parted to allow the procession of bloodied, but powerful Witches and Wizards pass through them. Eventually the congregation entered the Room of Requirement, and they all collapsed onto the carpet with identical grins of achievement on their faces. Harry cast a quick Scourgify on the assembled group, and then dragged himself onto one of the couches with Luna sitting beside him. He looked at every face in turn, and got a respectful nod in return. Eventually he came to Remus – who gave him a small nod and held up five fingers. Harry nodded and carried on with his inspection of the group and, finding them all settled in, turned to Luna, who said the three words that she thought needed to be said. "We were awesome."
The tension in the room seemed to deflate like a balloon, and people began chuckling in relief and clapping each other on the back, or engulfing each other in hugs. Eventually everything quietened down again, and Harry's smiled faded slightly. "We're there. When it really came down to it, you completely ignored the hell around you and fought like Aurors dream about." He gave a small nod to Bill Weasley. "Bill found those dragons in a volcano. Not around a volcano, but in one. We were in their element 100%, and yet we still came out on top."
He stood from his seat and nodded to a pile of crates by the door. "Grab a box of dreamless sleep on your way out, because in five days we face Voldemort."
Voldemort had been waiting for the day he would finally kill Harry Potter. He had waited eighteen long years, eighteen years of pain and suffering, eighteen years of defeat. He stood, looking over the dark, cracked ground around them and grinned at the place he had chosen for the battle. It was what was left of Durmstrang School, and the only regret he had about destroying it was that only two hundred people had been inside at the time. "My Lord."
He snarled and turned to face the greasy-haired Death Eater. "What is it Severus – you've hardly been very informative as of late, and now you come here to fight beside me?"
"My Lord, I came to tell you about Potter. He-"
"Will die," The Dark Lord hissed. His red eyes flashed at Snape. "You don't contact me for months, and now you come here with urgent news? CRUCIO!" With a scream, the potions teacher collapsed to the ground, and writhed in agony – but only until Voldemort saw a slight glow on the horizon. With a gasp, Severus was released from the Unforgivable – and Voldemort sneered evilly at the force on the opposite end of the island. It was larger than he had expected it to be – and he couldn't see Dumbledore… "Harry!" He called out over the ruins, and he saw one of the crowd separate; taking a step forward.
"Tom! How nice to see you again."
The Dark Lord snarled at his given name, but refrained from acting before the time was right. "So full of hate Harry."
Harry frowned from his side of the battlefield, and turned to get a second opinion from Remus; mouthing 'Do I look pissed or something?', and receiving a roll of the eyes and a shake of his head in return. "Well Tom, today is the day I believe. This battle is going to end it all."
"Indeed Harry, but I think it will be me who walks away from this place." He smiled nastily over at the young man, but took a step back when something flared from the hill behind the Wizard – before fading to a dim, orange glow once again. "Does Dumbledore hide from me behind that hill? Too afraid to face me?"
Harry's eyes glowed green in the dusk light, and his smile was purely carnivorous. "Not quite Tom; I'm afraid you'll be joining Dumbledore quite soon though."
"Oh, and where's tha-"He didn't have time to finish his question, for the glow behind Harry flared upwards, and it a mere second had covered the entire battlefield; turning it into the fiery Hell that him and his warriors had come to know very well. There was no warning for the horror; the Death Eaters were simply engulfed in the deafening flames and had fallen to the ground, screaming as their eyes were singed from their sockets – allowing the Hell to invade their minds. Those who had withstood the flames were faced with another, arguably more terrifying horror; the sights surrounding them. Many of the dark Wizards had collapsed right there and then, and several of them had taken to blindly screaming and firing curses up at the sky where the demons flew.
Those that had managed to stay even the tiniest bit sane through these sights had no time to acclimatise before Harry and his friends were upon them. Their black robes flashed through the Death Eaters like the smoke of Hell itself, demolishing their defences and killing those that were lying, insane on the ground with ferocious curses that made even the Dark Lord himself shake. As his me fought and fell in front of him, or at least those that hadn't succumbed to the terrors of Hell, he saw Harry Potter, his hand ablaze with white light, running through his masked warriors, tearing right through them – his teeth bared and his green eyes fixed on the target in front of him. Voldemort had tensed as the young man had come near, but had been in no way prepared for the absolutely predatory attack that met him. Harry lifted the Dark Lord right off his feet before sending him into the heart of the flames to smash brutally against the ruins of the school. Voldemort dragged himself to his feet and brought his wand up to face the young man who as approaching – a murderous look in his eyes.
With a swish, a curse flew forwards and Harry ducked to protect himself, before furiously attacking the evil creature in front of him. Voldemort expertly manoeuvred Harry's attacks, and gave back as good as he got; even managing to catch Harry across his back with a slicking hex – which for some reason healed as soon as it appeared. The duellers sprinted and weaved between the Hell that surrounded them, casting powerful spells which sent shockwaves right across the battleground, and huge waves of power shoot upwards into the bloody sky. Voldemort was struggling to keep up with the younger Wizard's pace, and unbeknownst to him Harry was feeling much the same; growing tired with the three-hour-long effort of defending himself against the Dark Lord. The Dark Wizard snarled in triumph as he sent Harry's wand spinning into a nearby pile of flames, and launched forwards grabbing his opponent around his neck and slamming his head against a crumbling stone wall. Harry looked into Voldemort's triumphant eyes with disgust, and planted his hand on the abomination's chest.
Voldemort looked into Harry's piercing eyes and grinned sadistically. "You know Harry; I've always wanted to do this." With a yell, Harry's ribs all snapped inwards, and the young Wizard's eyes shot open as he felt them tear into his organs. Voldemort smiled his evil smile, and was about to say something when he felt something that he couldn't believe was happening. The pressure inside Harry's chest was increasing, and slowly his damaged ribs snapped back into place, sealing themselves back together with a painful hiss. Voldemort glared at the young man with absolute loathing in his eyes – before catching sight of a pale white hand that was clutching to his opponent's arm. With a look of glee in his eyes, Voldemort swung his wand down – a slicing hex on the tip of his tongue, but found himself slammed face first into the exact wall he had been pressing Harry up against only moments before. He tried to groan in pain as his face impacted against the stone with a violent crunch – but found his speech blocked by a stream of blood that trickled out of his mouth. "Nobody hurts Luna. End of discussion."
Harry murmured a quick succession of Latin and Celtic spells, and concentrated firmly on his hand which was buried in Voldemort's back. With a white flash, his hand pushed through the clothes, and Voldemort gasped as he felt the intrusion. The white pulses continued, and Harry tore his fist upwards on the final blast – causing the ground around him to freeze – and then there was silence. Harry collapsed to his knees, and felt himself caught by a pair of familiar arms, hearing her familiar quiet sobs, and feeling her smooth skin on his. With a wave, the disgusting battleground disappeared, and immediately there was the pops of apparation as hundreds of healers appeared on the field before rushing to the injured.
Harry just sat there, listening to his fiancé's heartbeat through her robes and gently stroking the arms that were wrapped around his waist from behind. With a heave, he brought himself unsteadily to his feet, and pulled his girlfriend into an embrace, where he finally let himself cry his relief.
It was over.
