Hermione and Harry both pointed their wands at Claridina.
"Don't you think it's a little late for that?" Claridina smirked, drawing her own wand.
Harry sent a curse at her the second she touched her wand, but she lazily blocked it.
"Hogwarts is burning to the ground as we speak," Claridina said. "Your Ministry is destroyed, I think it's fair to say that you've all lost."
Harry sent a killing curse her way, but she quickly dodged it.
"Isn't there a saying about a wise man being wise because he knows when to give up?" Claridina said icily. "It seems that you two have less sense than a muggle than."
This time Hermione sent the curse, but again, Claridina dodged it.
"You're not walking out of here alive," Harry said.
"On the contrary, I think I'll be leaving here very much alive," Claridina said calmly.
Harry looked around; the flames were beginning to grow stronger and closer to him and Hermione. They didn't affect Claridina, but Harry could feel his lungs shaking from all the smoke and the heat of the flames was beginning to sting his skin.
"Avada-" Harry began, but at the same time, Hermione exclaimed, "Expelliarmus!"
Claridina's wand flew from her hand and into the flames.
For the first time, Claridina's cruel grin flickered from her face.
…..
"Mum, when's dinner?" Lily asked Ginny.
"S-Soon, sweetheart," Ginny said. She turned to her father. "If something had happened, we would've heard about it by now, right?"
"Harry, Ron and Hermione are fine," Arthur said soothingly.
Ginny sighed. "I'm going to go out and get some air." She headed to door.
"I'll go with you," Teddy said, following her out.
Ginny stepped out into the night, feeling a cool breeze on her neck.
"I'm scared," she whispered to Teddy, looking up at the sky. "For Harry, Ron and Hermione, the kids at Hogwarts…everyone."
"They'll be fine," Teddy said shakily.
Suddenly, a series of red sparks shot out of the sky towards the house. They bounced off the invisible barriers of the protective charms that surrounded the house.
Ginny frowned. "What was that?"
"Don't know," Teddy said, drawing his wand. He looked around; everything was silent.
"At least we know the protections work," Ginny said softly, drawing her own wand.
"Might've just been some muggle fireworks," Teddy suggested.
"Maybe…"
"Come on," Teddy said. "I think we should go back-"
There was a loud noise, almost like a bomb. Jets of green and red sparks flew towards the house, and this time, they passed right through the protective barrier.
Windows broke and Teddy and Ginny were both thrown off their feet.
"Teddy, come on, get back in the house!" Ginny yelled, pulling Teddy back to his feet as she struggled to her own.
Teddy tried to see where the curses were coming from. He could see figures coming from one direction.
"Stupefy!" he yelled, and the figures crumpled.
"Gin, Teddy, what was that noise?" Bill asked as the two ran back into the house.
"Sounded like an explosion," George frowned.
"The protection's down," Ginny said. "We're under attack."
…..
"I smell smoke," Alexandra said. She saw black smoke coming in through the crack of the door. "We need to get out of here!"
"Mum knows where we are," Wretermoust said simply, looking completely unnerved. "She'll come for us."
"Yes, if the fire doesn't kill us first," Alexandra shot back.
She sank down into a chair. She was going to die; they were going to be killed by the fire. When they found her body, they'd find out she was with Wretermoust during the final minutes of her life….What would everyone think about that?
Suddenly, the door collapsed, and the flames spread into the room. Alexandra let out a scream of shock and jumped out of the way.
Wretermoust gave a cruel laugh.
I hope he gets burned, Alexandra thought as the flames came closer and closer to Wretermoust. It would serve him right…
But as the flames reached Wretermoust, the boy let out no yells of pain. In fact, the flames didn't appear to be causing him any discomfort at all.
Alexandra stared at her half-brother in befundlement; she was so engrossed in the scene that she didn't even notice the flames making their way over to her. When she finally looked down and saw the pool of flames at her feet, she felt her heart skip a beat, and she prepared her self for the searing pain that was sure to come in a moment.
It never came, though. Alexandra felt, instead of intense heat, a cool sensation wash over her entire body. She looked up at Wretermoust and stared in amazement.
The flames didn't hurt her.
….
If only I could see this thing, Dudley thought anxiously to himself as he was knocked to the ground yet again by this invisible creature.
He figured whatever this thing was had to have some sort of scaly skin that was protecting it from his bullets. He didn't have any other weapon other than his gun. It looked like all he could do now was try to prolong his life as long as he could.
He got to his feet only to be kicked back down. He felt the creature press its hooves to his chest. He could feel its breath on his face again.
This is it, Dudley told himself, struggling to gasp for air. I'm going to die.
Images of Alexandra came swarming into his mind. His daughter…what would happen to her if he was gone? She'd be all alone.
He felt a sudden rush of adrenaline surge through his body, and with all the strength he could muster he pointed his gun up at what he assumed was the face of his attacker. It has to have some weakness, Dudley told himself. Maybe its eyes…those can't have scales.
Judging as best as he could, Dudley aimed his gun where he guessed the eye would be. Then, beginning to feel dizzy from the lack of oxygen, he fired.
…
"Avada Kedava!" Harry yelled, sending the green light towards Claridina. Claridina ducked, and the suit of armor behind her collapsed.
"I'm completely defenseless, Potter," she said, breathing heavily. "And yet you still can't catch me."
"Avada Kedavra!" Hermione cried, sending another green light towards the woman.
Claridina dodged it again.
"Almost forgot the mudblood was here," she said.
"Don't call her that!" Harry yelled, sending another series of green lights towards the woman.
"I must say, Potter, you've been more of a challenge than I've thought," Claridina said coldly. "But as I've always said; I'm still coming out on top."
Hermione fired another killing curse, which missed Claridina by only a centimeter.
"I'd love to stay and play with you two," she said in a taunting voice. "But I have much more important business to attend to in the castle."
Harry and Hermione both sent more killing curses, trying to aim as best they could through the flames, but their curses missed their targets, and with a high pitched laugh, Claridina disappeared into the flames.
"We've got to go after her!" Harry yelled, starting to follow her, but was blocked as another wave of flames swept in front of him.
"We have to get out of here, Harry!" Hermione cried. "We're nearly trapped. If the flames end up killing you, she'll have won! She doesn't want you alive, don't kill yourself for her!"
Harry stared off in the direction Claridina had just gone. He knew he had no way of getting through the flames….
"Harry!"
"Okay, let's go!" Harry said loudly.
"Deoxycindo!" Hermione exclaimed, pointing her wand at the wall of flames that was blocking the staircase. The flames didn't disappear, but they shrunk enough for both of them to jump over.
"Hurry, it's only temporary," Hermione coughed.
The two jumped over the flames and a moment later they were back to their enormous sizes.
Trying not to black out from the smoke, the two continued towards the main hall of the castle.
"I see it!" Hermione cried. "We're almost-"
"Hermione, look out!" Harry screamed.
He pulled her away just as a large pillar covered in flames collapsed. The debris brushed over Hermione's side, and Harry heard her let out a small whimper of pain.
"Are you okay?"
"Come on, Harry! Let's keep going!"
Harry, with one arm around Hermione to help support her, led them out of the castle. The two turned back and saw a truly horrifying sight; Hogwarts, completely engulfed in flames.
The castle looked like it truly could not stand a second longer.
…
AN- Thanks so much for being patient with me while I updated this; I know I sort of left you at a cliffhanger last time. Hope you all enjoyed this! Updates will hopefully be coming much more frequently!