Opening Author's Notes
Ooh wee. This got so big that I found I had to cut one song and move it to the next chapter, but I hope I got this right because I haven't really written a battle scene for a story on this site yet and because I've spent a lot of time building up to this. Dedication goes again to Katherine (GoldsberryDiggs on Wattpad) – who makes another cameo here – with secondary dedication to Mikki (Her_Tulip on Wattpad). This is also admittedly a little longer than I try to write nowadays since I'm trying to be more sensitive to Wattpad users reading on their mobile devices, but I hope you guys won't mind me serving up a bigger portion since I think this calls for it.
Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
–Patrick Henry
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Near Hogsmeade, Scotland, UK
The Room of Requirement – Dumbledore's Army / Sons and Daughters of Liberty Briefing
Harry and Hermione drew their wands and flicked them at their fellow students and comrades, and the others gasped as they found that each of them, plus Harry and Hermione, had two additional patches on their robes or uniforms. Each Dumbledore's Army or Sons and Daughters of Liberty member now had his or her national flag on the right sleeve, which meant that quite a few Union Jacks had appeared, although the Stars and Stripes were also present for Alex, John and Hercules and the French Tricouleur had appeared for Fleur and Lafayette. Among the flags to appear had been the Indian flag for the Patils and the Irish flag for Seamus.
The Dumbledore's Army and Sons and Daughters of Liberty crests also appeared opposite their school or House crest. The Dumbledore's Army crest was one with Dumbledore's silhouette in white against a dark blue shield, with the letters "DA" in black near the bottom and the name "Hogwarts" just below it in black on the gold border. Behind the shield was a wand forming an X shape with the Sword of Gryffindor.
Meanwhile, the Sons and Daughters of Liberty crest was that of a shield inspired by the American flag with a blue upper third with white stars and the rest red and white vertical stripes. What set it apart, though, was a black snake over the stripes and the message "Don't Tread on Me" on the shield border. Also, similarly to the DA crest, a wand and a non-magical weapon formed an X shape behind the shield, but in this case, it was a musket with a bayonet instead of a sword.
As they admired their new patches, Dobby and company had brought up pumpkin juice, orange juice, tea and coffee to drink, plus bread and one stew from each of the main participating nations. Harry had suggested stew because it was bound to be a chilly night in York and they had no way of knowing how long the operation would take.
Lafayette was teaching John and Hercules about beouf Bourgignon, while Hermione was explaining Lancashire hotpot to Fleur and Alex was teaching Molly about New England clam chowder.
"This is very good! So...cream, potatoes, onions, clams..." Molly was saying, allowing a spoonful to linger on her tongue to size it up using her trained palate.
"You've got it right, Mrs. Weasley," Alex replied. "Some have put a little bit of bacon in it and sometimes even hot sauce. Just no tomatoes in the broth, because then it's Manhattan clam chowder. Believe it or not, the Maine legislature once debated a bill that would have outlawed it in the state if it had become law."
Molly was glad that she had swallowed that spoonful by the time Alex had finished, because she believed that if she hadn't, she'd have spit it up because of how much she was laughing.
Headmaster's/Headmistress's Office
While the students who were part of the assault team enjoyed their dinner, McGonagall and Madam Bones had retired to the Headmistress's office for a drink and some private conversation.
"If you'd have told me this would be happening last week, Amy, I would have suggested you empty your liquor cabinet at work," McGonagall said with a smile as they each had a small glass of Ogden's Old Firewhisky.
"I was hoping for a chance, Minnie, but I didn't expect that we would have the people involved that we do!" Madam Bones replied after finishing hers. "Potter, Granger, Hamilton, the Weasleys, Lafayette, Delacour..."
"Indeed...but Minerva, be careful," Dumbledore said from his portrait. "A desperate witch or wizard is always a dangerous one. I believe you will be successful, but we have already lost much against Voldemort and I would rather we not add to that tonight."
"I will, Albus," McGonagall replied solemnly, a wistful smile on her face as she gazed at the image of her old friend and predecessor, whom she had been Deputy to. "Though if they're desperate because children and young men and women who are our students have decided to make a stand, then I can live with that."
"I know," Dumbledore replied, his famous twinkle in his eyes as he smiled back. "Whatever happens tonight, I can imagine you have never been prouder to be their Headmistress. I know I have never been prouder that I was their Headmaster."
McGonagall looked at both his and Madam Bones' faces, both with encouraging smiles, and had unshed tears in her eyes.
Operation Rochambeau
Jugson House
York, North Yorkshire, England, UK
Less than an hour later, the attacking force had made its way into York by Apparition and Portkey and Lee was in front of the Jugson House waiting for word from the various teams. He was anxious, but he didn't have too much longer to wait.
"Lightning to River. Mars is bright tonight," Harry's voice said over the radio. It was a reference to the centaur saying that he had heard during his detention in the Forbidden Forest during his first year, chosen because it meant that battle was on the horizon.
"Flower to River," Fleur added. "Mars is bright tonight."
"Roger that, Lightning and Flower," Lee replied. Seeing Madam Bones nod at him, he added, "This meeting can do nothing more to save the country."
It was another American Revolution reference – namely, to what John Adams was said to have said at the Old North Church to signal what would become known as the Boston Tea Party. It was the signal for the ward-reversing team, including Lafayette, Fleur, Bill and the French Aurors, to start moving in. They did so and were soon within sight of the ward stone.
"Let's just Stun them and get their wands away," Lafayette said, seeing the four guards. "I normally wouldn't be that restrained, but I'd rather not have bloodstains give anything away to the enemy if we have to run for cover."
"And if what 'Arry, 'Ermoine and Alexandre have planned works, there'll be enough killing tonight," Fleur agreed.
Silently, Bill and one of the French Aurors snuck into position alongside them, and all four took aim with their wands. Lafayette signaled them, and as one, they said clearly yet quietly, "Stupefy!"
The Stunners did the trick, and the guards hit the ground like sacks of potatoes. Quickly springing from cover, some of the other French Aurors dragged the fallen targets out of view and set to tying them up and removing their wands and other items. Meanwhile, Bill sized up the ward stone with Lafayette and Fleur alongside him.
"'Ow does it look, Guillaume?" Fleur asked. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"Not as bad as we feared, actually," Bill replied with a relieved smile. "Predictably anti-Apparition and anti-Portkey wards, along with some other defensive ones, but I should be able to reverse this as long as I don't do something stupid."
Fleur reflected his smile as she breathed a sigh of relief. As he set to work and Lafayette kept a watchful eye, she radioed Lee and said, "Flower to River. We're starting to get the toad out from under her rock."
"Roger, Flower," Lee replied, excitement audible in his voice. "We'll heighten the alert and start to move people towards their places."
It was a nervous ten minutes or so before the radio came to life again, and when it did, Lee realized that he had been shaking slightly from the tension.
"Flower to Lightning," Fleur's voice was heard over the radio. "Wards were successfully reversed. Rochambeau is a go."
"Copy that, Flower," Harry's voice responded, a note of excitement in his voice. "That's brilliant. River, make sure our people are not in the middle of the streets leading to the house."
"Streets are clear, Lightning," Lee said, smiling. "Is the storm ready?"
"First peal of thunder is imminent," Harry replied.
As he finished, there was an explosion down one of the streets.
"Wait a minute! What was that?" Tonks asked, startled.
Unable to suppress a small smile, McGonagall replied, "You'll find out in seconds."
Tonks and Lupin gawked at her, and the two of them turned to look around the corner. There was a whoosh, and a cannonball whizzed past them and crashed through one of the large windows of the Jugson House to the left of the door. They then heard the cannonball detonate inside and heard yelps and screams.
Everyone was still in shock and trying to fathom what was happening when there was a second loud sound of cannon fire from the other street leading to the house. There was another whoosh, and a second cannonball smashed through another large window, this time to the right of the door. They heard and saw a second explosion and the screams seemed to double.
"What in Merlin's name is going on?" Kingsley asked, bewildered.
"Those were cannons, Shack! What on earth are those kids..." Moody replied, trailing off as he walked as quickly as he could given his wooden leg to a corner and peered down the street. Then he exclaimed, "Sweet Morgana, have a look at this!"
They looked down the streets and their jaws dropped. Dumbledore's Army and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty were coming down the two streets leading towards the house bringing two cannons down each street – one siege gun and one howitzer. The cannons were moving on their own, though some were also helping them move manually. Most of the people who were helping them move them manually were Muggleborn and not yet of age – but not all.
"Oh, this is going to be fun. They won't know what hit them, and if they do, they'll wish they didn't!" Arthur was yelling cheerfully as he helped push one of the siege guns along. An official in the British Ministry's Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, he was a known (and proud) aficionado of all things non-magical despite being a pureblood and had once unforgettably enchanted a vintage Ford Anglia and given it the ability to fly. Ron, Ginny, Fred and George, who were all with the same gun, laughed and cheered.
Some of the students were also waving British and American flags as well as the flags of Hogwarts, Ilvermony, Dumbledore's Army, the Sons and Daughters of Liberty, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Fife-and-drum versions of the Hogwarts school song and Yankee Doodle could also be heard, and hearing the children and young adults sing quickly brought the wide-eyed but approving townsfolk out into the streets.
As the guns and their crews neared them, Madam Bones, Tonks, Lupin, Moody, Shacklebolt and the other assault team members at the front saw that Harry had one more thing that made him look like a proper commanding officer. He had brought Godric Gryffindor's legendary longsword with its golden and ruby-encrusted handle and was waving it over his head, urging Dumbledore's Army and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty onwards with their artillery.
McGonagall, Madam Bones and Lee were all smiling and chuckling fondly at them as they arrived, while others were still gawking as the cannons reached the square and were deployed in a line facing the Jugson House. Seeing this, Justin said, "What? Certainly you've seen a cannon before, even if you're pureblood! Keep calm and carry on and all that!"
"Don't be tough on them, Justin," Dean said. "This may be taking a page out of history, but this is no 18th-century cannonade that we have planned."
"And this is where we prove it, boys and girls," Hermione finished. Then she shouted, "Battery, load!"
With gusto, batches of people launched into action, spiritedly barking as they worked,
"You heard the lady! Time to deliver some more of our presents to the Ministry fops!"
"Put your backs and wands into it, lads and lasses! We've got a party to crash!"
"Make sure that barrel's clean, 'cause this gun has some dirty work to do!"
They were using charm work to do everything necessary to prepare each gun for firing: loading the fuse, cleaning the inside of the barrel, loading a fresh gunpowder pack and finally loading the cannonball and packing it in. It took them only 30 seconds for them to load, which was especially something since skilled Muggle gun crews were able to load and fire them within a minute in the old days.
Hermione then finished using a charm to help aim the siege gun closest to her and yelled, "Ready, Harry!"
Seconds later, Ron, Luna and Justin – who were at the other guns – were also calling, "Ready!"
"Fantastic," Harry said, a smile on his face and his eyes ablaze. Then he brandished his sword towards the Jugson House and shouted, "For Hogwarts and Hogsmeade! Fire at will!"
"Aye aye, Harry!" Luna called, and she touched her wand to the fuse of the howitzer he was standing next to.
The shot from her howitzer tore through the largest second-floor window on the right side of the front, while the shot from the other howitzer, with Justin leading its gun crew, shattered the largest second-floor window on the left. Meanwhile, Hermione's and Ron's siege guns blew out more windows on the lower floor.
As each gun fired, the crashing and roaring made some of the onlookers cast sound-canceling spells near their ears, conjure earplugs or headphones or simply put their fingers in their ears. They also were startled to see that none of the guns was recoiling as they should normally be.
"Really glad you figured out how to charm these things to eliminate the recoil, Hermione!" Harry observed.
"Thanks, Harry, but I knew I had to look into that first," Hermione replied, returning Harry's smile. "That was one of the things that made these slow to fire back in the old days."
"What are you firing at them?" Lupin asked Harry. "I just know that's not just plain old Muggle iron round shot that you're shooting out of those!"
"Quite right, Professor Lupin!" Harry replied with a grin. "Various fillings for these cannonballs – Exploding Potion for all of them for more of a fragmentation effect, with various others added in. Some have Swelling Solution while others have boil-creating potion in them. We even added undiluted bubotuber pus to a few."
"I see!" Lupin replied, before adding longingly but with a smile, "God, I wish James and Sirius were here to see this...I can only imagine they know they're missing a hell of a time! Sticking it to a bunch of pureblood bigots using old Muggle weapons is a Marauder-worthy idea if I ever saw one!"
"Tell you what, Professor – go see Luna over there and tell her I'm letting you put a shot through one of those second-floor windows for Dad and Sirius," Harry said with a grin. Lupin couldn't resist saluting Harry, which Harry returned before Lupin hurried over to Luna's howitzer.
"Very cool thing to do, Harry," Alex said approvingly.
Harry made to reply, but before he could say anything, John saw something launched from the second floor towards Susan. He picked up on what it was and shouted, "Grenade!"
"Get down, Sue!" Ginny yelled, pushing her down to protect her. She then aimed her wand at the grenade – a large flask of dangerous-looking potion that reminded Harry and Hermione of Molotov cocktails somehow – and then swished and flicked her wand and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
It quickly stopped and hovered ten feet above and ten feet away. Ginny then used a Banishing Charm to hurl the grenade back towards the house, and it flew back through the second-floor window it had been thrown from, smashed on the floor and detonated. As it did so, there were more screams of pain from inside as what looked like gold-colored napalm ignited and started to spread fire along the second floor.
Ginny was startled, but she had a vindictive look still on her face and fired her favorite Bat-Bogey Hex through the same window for good measure.
"All right there, Sue?" Ginny asked, helping her up once she heard further screams from inside.
"Don't worry, Auntie got me used to things like that, Ginny. Lovely work!" Susan replied, making Ginny smile.
"Red Cat to Lightning!" Harry heard Katherine's voice saying over his radio. "Tell Ginger Pop I said great work with throwing that grenade back – it would have been bad if it wasn't for her quick thinking, but that just gave them a big headache. They're clearing off the top floor for the most part as that fire spreads."
Harry looked around to find out how Katherine was working that out, and his Seeker-trained eyes quickly saw a blur in the skies to the right of the house, deftly dodging curses fired by the defenders. She was clearly riding a broom, and judging by the speed and agility of the broomstick in question, it looked to be a Firebolt.
"Great work!" Harry said, clearly impressed. "What other surveillance equipment do you have?"
"Goggles enchanted for infrared vision, Harry," she replied.
"And the fact that they've got a fire up there isn't going to cause problems with that?" Harry asked.
"Trust me, Harry, it won't," Katherine reassured. Then she informed, "They're trying to concentrate their defenses on the first floor and barricade the front door while still keeping eyes on the windows – and by that, I mean they've got wands trained on them looking for any of us who would want to jump through."
"Brilliant," Harry said. "Keep us updated and make sure you take care of yourself too!"
"Don't worry, Harry, they couldn't hit the back side of a barn, much less me!" Katherine replied as she zoomed towards the other side.
"She'll be just fine, Harry," Ron informed. "Justin, Susan and Hannah were telling me and Neville something they heard from McGonagall and Sprout. Apparently, Katherine had her NEWT education here and was even Hufflepuff Seeker before Cedric."
"Was she, now?" Harry asked. "Oh, that'll work out great!"
"Seems to me like a flanking maneuver is in order...did you want us to put it into action, Harry?" Alex asked. John, Hercules and the American Aurors gathered around him as he finished.
Harry looked back at Madam Bones, and she nodded in both encouragement and agreement, making sure Alex saw her. He turned back to Alex and nodded, saying, "I know you said you and your Aurors have firearm training – how are your guns?"
"In great shape," Alex said, and then he turned to John, Hercules and the American Aurors and added, "But hold on. Don't use those until I give the word so that we have the benefit of surprise. We'll do this Yorktown-style, only with wands instead of bayonets. We'll sneak in close, grenade them and then unleash hell. Let's make sure we rake both sides of the building completely."
"Shall we unload the mags to make sure there's no chance?" John asked with a grin.
"I like that," Alex replied. As he spoke, he pulled an Uzi from an inner robe pocket and removed its clip before putting the gun and magazine into the same pocket separately. While watching the others unload their clips as well, he said, "All right, John, Lincoln, Russell, you're with me. We'll take the right side. Hercules, take the rest and go left."
They quickly nodded at him and split up into two columns, with an Auror at the front with a raised Shield Charm in a practiced technique.
"While they work on that," Harry remarked, "I'd rather we have even more potent ammunition to try to break that door down since it's bound to be heavy..."
"That can certainly be arranged, Potter!" McGonagall replied with a smile, and she pointed her wand at some of the chunks of rubble from the Jugson House that were approximately cannonball-size and called, "Accio!"
Some onlookers got out of the way of the heavy pieces of stone that were flying towards them and the Headmistress before McGonagall also conjured a cart that they landed in. She then quickly transfigured them into cannonballs and then split them open so they could be loaded with a particularly potent type of Exploding Potion that some of the other students were helping brew. They had already filled two flasks – one for each of the two American flanking teams.
Meanwhile, Harry was talking into his radio again. "Lightning to Red Cat. Ham and teams are getting into position and then we make our move. Keep eyes on them and make sure none of them tries something sudden or tries to escape. The only way they leave is in a body bag or with magic-suppressing handcuffs on them."
"You're singing my song, Lightning," Katherine's voice replied. "Nobody's trying anything funny yet, but if they do, I promise you'll be the first to know."
"Jordan, word to the French and young Mr. Weasley," Madam Bones said briskly. "Let's have them join Hamilton and the other Americans on the ground since we have Fleming keeping eyes on them from the sky."
"Of course, Madam Bones," Lee replied. Then he spoke into his radio, "River to Flower. White Queen says to join up with Ham and his teams since Red Cat is keeping tabs on them."
"Flower to River. Magnifique – we're on our way," Fleur replied gleefully.
"We're tightening the bloody hangman's noose around them." Madam Bones said with vindictive glee.
"It'll certainly be bloody if this succeeds," Harry said with a Marauder feral grin. "But I believe it'll be for them much more than for us."
Meanwhile, both teams of Americans had reached their spots outside the first window on either side – both of which had been blown out by the artillery bombardment – and had ducked out of view of the occupants, and the French plus Bill had joined up with them just in time.
On the right side, Alex nodded at John and the others with him, pulled out his Uzi and reloaded the clip. As the other Americans finished loading, he raised his wand and said quietly but clearly, "Accio potion bomb!"
He turned and saw the flask of Exploding Potion approaching, and then swished and flicked his wand and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
This time, it hovered a foot in front of his face. Next to him, John tapped the flask with his own wand twice. The potion inside began to bubble and flash ominously, and Alex needed no further cue. With a furious motion, he Banished the flask grenade through the window, and just before he took cover, he saw another grenade lobbed in from the other side by Hercules' team, aimed at the cluster of defenders behind the barricaded front door.
There were two loud and heavy bangs, clouds of dust coming from the windows, and a host of screams and groans from inside. Alex didn't hesitate, popping up and yelling, "Now!"
He opened fire with both his wand and his gun and started sprinting alongside the house, furiously using bullets to break the windows and target foes while also sending curses through, and the others both on his side and the other one followed his lead. They made sure to fire at an angle so that they didn't accidentally hit allies on the other side. From that other side, Fleur had no gun, but she was using her Veela powers to hurl fireballs with her off hand.
Seeing this, Harry also signaled, "Now!"
At his command, both siege guns fired on the large front door and blew it to splinters. The attackers needed no further urging, storming the house with full-throated battle cries, with British Aurors with raised Shield Charms as the vanguard.
There were sounds of spell fire and gunfire and the shouts of curses, hexes and charms. Then, rising above the tumult came one young woman's voice, calling, "Rush on, boys! The house is ours!"
Then there was a deathly chill that seemed to suck the very happiness out of the air, and that meant only one thing – dementors had appeared. The cold seemed to root almost everyone watching the house from the outside to the spot, and an equally chilling silence seemed to descend on the house and its surroundings.
Suddenly, there was a dreadful scream. It appeared to have come from a woman, and it seemed to be born out of fear and agony as if someone was facing – or enduring – a ghastly death. The sound made onlookers' blood run even colder than the dementors themselves did, and those outside the house suddenly worried if the assault had been successful.
Just as suddenly, there were Patronuses bursting from the house, and almost uncharacteristically, the dementors were seen fleeing from the house instead of merely gliding away leisurely. Those watching took heart but still held their breath until in groups of two or three at a time, the attackers began leaving the house.
Quite a few assault team members were holding handcuffed captives, and any of those who weren't were levitating bodies. Each corpse had a white sheet over it, but instead of being drawn all the way up to cover the head, the face was left visible. Onlookers breathed a large sigh of relief and smiled when they saw that two of the last bodies to be floated out of the house were those of Fudge and Umbridge.
Some who got close enough kicked the corpses or spit on them, and some were having to be persuaded to not string the bodies up in disgrace when they saw a casualty from the strike team finally being carried out of the house. Hannah and Hercules were helping carry Neville, who was unconscious and had a bloody forehead.
"Damn...it's not bad, is it?" Hercules asked.
"It can't be..." Hannah said, with her voice indicating she was trying to reassure herself too. She had sent Harry, Hermione and the others onward after she'd reassured them he'd be okay, but she felt some uncertainty. Then she finished looking him over and said, "Thank goodness...it's just a gash on the forehead and nothing else, so it looks worse than it is. Right, hold on..."
She pointed her wand at Neville's wound and said, "Vulnera Sanentur! Tergeo!"
Neville's gash closed and the dried blood disappeared from his face. Hercules then lifted Neville's head slightly so that Hannah could administer blood-replenishing potion. She then cradled his head with her heft hand, tapped his forehead gently with her wand and whispered, "Ennervate!"
Neville groaned slightly and blinked his eyes, trying to get a grip on his surroundings. Then he realized where he was and what might have happened, gasped and said, "Han! Did...did we get them all?"
"We did, Nev," She replied warmly, giving him a bright smile. "You got it the worst out of any of us, and it wasn't even them that did it. The ceiling partially collapsed and you got hit on the head by some debris."
Then she asked, "Take as much time as you need, but if you can stand, I hear we have a party to catch."
British Ministry of Magic Headquarters
Whitehall, Westminster, London, England, UK
Neville was astounded to find out from Hannah that they and Hercules that the party was in the Atrium of the Ministry, and everyone who had participated in Operation Rochambeau was there. When he arrived and was welcomed by Harry, Hermione and Ron, he was even more in awe at the excited spectacle that greeted his eyes.
Pro-Fudge and pro-pureblood supremacist banners and posters were being torn down and then shredded or burnt by the students among the strike team. In their places, the flags and banners that the attackers had carried were being raised. While some prisoners were still being led to DMLE holding cells, both Madam Rosmerta and her counterpart Tom from the Leaky Cauldron were happily passing out drinks to the victorious strike team and their allies.
"Blimey, Harry..." He said, wide-eyed. "We really aren't doing this by half, are we? I thought we might vanquish the bastards tonight, but I didn't think we'd cap it off like this before the sun came up!"
"Honestly, Nev, neither did I," Harry confessed. "But when Madam Bones came up with the idea, I certainly wasn't about to turn down a chance to not only kill the bigots, but also walk into their house, bury them and dance on their grave!"
"And we're glad you didn't turn it down, Harry!" Hannah exclaimed. "Here, Neville – Tom saved you a butterbeer."
Lee was excitedly broadcasting – now on main WWN channels with his voice transmitted not only throughout Britain and Ireland but also to America, France and even beyond – what had happened and what was happening. People were crowding around their radios, turning up their volume and hearing that the bigoted faction in the British Ministry led by its Minister had been forcibly overthrown in a daring operation, and those responsible included the Boy Who Lived, the descendant and namesake of an American Founding Father and their friends.
He was telling them that Madam Bones had been named as Fudge's successor, initially on an interim basis, when music then started up and the eyes of the crowd turned towards a sizable clearing around the Fountain of Magical Brethren.
Alex was standing in the middle of the clearing and facing the crowd. He was a fearsome figure because his red-and-gold trimmed gray Gryffindor vest under his robes was sprayed with blood, but it was the blood of an enemy. Music was already playing as Lafayette approached him.
[Lafayette] Monsieur Hamilton!
[Alex] Monsieur Lafayette!
[Lafayette] In command where you belong!
[Alex] How you say, "No sweat"?
We're finally on the field, we've had quite a run
[Lafayette] Immigrants–
[Alex/Lafayette] We get the job done!
They high-fived each other here to cheers from the crowd – with Parvati's, Padma's, Fleur's, Dean's and Seamus's voices being among the loudest – and continued,
[Alex] So what happens if we win?
[Lafayette] I go back to France
We bring freedom to our people if we're given the chance
[Alex] We'll be with you when you do
[Lafayette] Go lead your men!
[Alex] I'll see you on the other side
[Lafayette] 'Till we meet again – let's go!
The music then picked up still more and Alex led the crowd in the rallying cry that had begun it all at the Three Broomsticks, with a twist at the end:
[Alex/Crowd] I am not throwing away my shot
I am not throwing away my shot
Ay yo, I'm just like my country – I'm young, scrappy and hungry
And I'm not throwing away my shot
[Crowd] I am not throwing away my shot
[Alex] 'Till the world turns upside down
[Crowd] 'Till the world turns upside down
Alex guessed that they would be even louder, but he wasn't prepared for the noise and the energy, and it further energized him. He then continued, his voice reflecting the fear and resolve he had revealed to Harry and Hermione earlier in the Room of Requirement after telling them about Eliza,
[Alex] I imagine death so much, it feels more like a memory
This is where it gets me – on my feet, the enemy ahead of me
If this is the end of me, at least I have a friend with me
Weapon in my hand, in command, and my men with me!
Harry then came forward, met Alex's eyes and added in an urging tone,
[Harry] Then you remember your Eliza's expecting you
Not only that – your Eliza's expecting, too!
We gotta go, gotta get the job done
Gotta start a new nation, gotta meet your son!
Alex nodded at Harry, and more fire came into his eyes and voice. As Harry stepped away, he felt that more than he ever had, Alex was projecting a presence that seemed so powerfully like the one his ancestor had. Alex turned to the American Aurors who had helped with the flanking maneuver here and shouted,
[Alex] Take the bullets out your gun! (What?) The bullets out your gun! (What?)
We move undercover and we move as one
Through the night – we have one shot to live another day
We cannot let a stray gunshot give us away!
We will fight up close, seize the moment and stay in it
It's either that or meet the business end of a bayonet
The code word is "Rochambeau", you dig me? (Rochambeau!)
You have your orders now – go, man, go!
He then stepped aside and Hermione and Harry stepped forward together and continued.
[Hermione] And so the American experiment begins
With our friends all scattered to the winds
Laurens was in Diagon Alley, redefining bravery
[Hermione/John] We'll never be free until we end slavery!
[Harry] When we finally drove the bigots away
Lafayette was there waiting
[Harry/Lafayette] Like Chesapeake Bay
[Harry] How did we know that this plan would work?
[Hermione/Harry] We had some spies on the inside! That's right–
"Weasley and Mulligan!" They shouted along with Alex, John and Lafayette just before they made way. Fred, George, Lee and Tonks had come up with the idea of pulling coats using magic off of Ron and Hercules to reveal them, and just as they did so, the two of them jumped into the center to cheers and let fly.
[Ron] Blood traitors spying on a pureblood government
We took their measurements and information and then we smuggled it (What?)
[Hercules] To our brothers, revolutionary covenant
Dumbledore's Army and Sons of Liberty and we are loving it (Ooh-ooh!)
See, that's what happens when you up against the ruffians
We in this shit now – somebody's gotta shovel it
[Ron] Weasley and Mulligan – we need no introduction
When you knock us down–
[Ron/Hercules] We get the fuck back up again!
"Ha ha, whoo!" Hercules roared as the crowd let out one of its biggest cheers yet. Harry spotted Arthur and Bill glowing with pride, while Molly, who was with them, had proud tears openly streaming down her face.
A violin had been playing as part of the music, and it seemed to have even more vigor as images rose out of a Pensieve containing contributions from the strike team, showing not only how the Jugson House had been beseiged but also how it had been stormed and taken.
When everyone was through the doors and windows, Padma had disarmed rogue Auror John Dawlish right when he was about to fire a bone-breaking curse at Madam Bones, and Madam Bones had nodded at her gratefully and then conjured spikes that had flown through the air and pinned Dawlish to the wall by his wand hand and by the shoulder of his robes.
Meanwhile, Fudge had been aiming a Piercing Curse at McGonagall when Alex had snuck up on him, crashed into him and wrenched his wand so hard that the wand had been pointing at Fudge's own throat, meaning the resulting curse had passed through his jugular. It explained the blood that was sprayed across the front of Alex's vest under his robes – it had been the blood of the former British Minister of Magic, which Alex had shed.
It had also turned out that just two dementors had appeared – rogue ones that had come in from the side opposite to where Katherine had been. While Umbridge had stupidly tried to make them submit to her authority and sic them on the attackers, Harry and Hermione had come up with the idea to use their Patronuses to herd the dementors into Umbridge.
It was more successful than even they thought it would be, as both were driven into her and both tried kissing her. That had caused the horrible scream that had been heard in the street – the Senior Undersecretary and former Hogwarts Headmistress and High Inquisitor had had her soul ripped into two. Even though Umbridge was due for punishment and none mourned her, it had been so horrific to watch that many averted their eyes, with Hermione burying her face in Harry's chest.
The music had now become less intense, made up mostly of a bell tolling rhythmically. Alex and his fellow descendants then came forward in turn as the images of the remaining defenders surrendering once Umbridge and Fudge were dead appeared.
[Alex] After an hour of fighting
A young man with a torn mask stands on a parapet
[Lafayette] We lower our wands
As he frantically waves a white handkerchief
[Hercules] And just like that, it's over
We tend to our wounded, we count our dead
[John] Muggleborns and purebloods
Wonder alike if this really means freedom
"Not yet..." McGonagall replied.
Befitting the one-time head of Gryffindor, she had the carnivorous smile of a lioness after a kill as the music stopped. She produced Fudge's lime green bowler hat while Madam Bones produced Fudge's and Umbridge's wands, and as everyone turned to them, Madam Bones crushed both wands. She and McGonagall then pointed their wands at the hat and the remains of the wands and said, "Incendio!"
It was clear from the schadenfreude-laden looks from the onlookers as the hat and wand remains flamed out and smoke rose upwards that this was the most symbolic burning, and the Pensieve, as if it had a mind of its own, showed Umbridge's and Fudge's bodies being kicked and spat on by bystanders.
The music not only started again but began to build as well, and the tolling of the bell became more ominous but more invigorating. As it did so, Lafayette, John and Hercules stepped aside but stayed in the clearing and Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fleur and the others in the DA who had been at the forefront of the effort since the start of the term and Alex's arrival at Hogwarts joined Alex. They narrated one by one with increasing energy as the Pensieve continued to illustrate a lot of what they spoke of:
[Harry] We negotiate the terms of surrender
[Alex] I see George Washington's smile
[Hermione] We escort their men out of York town
[Ginny] They stagger home single-file
[Ron] Tens of thousands of people flood the streets
[Luna] There are screams and church bells ringing
[Dean/Justin] And as our fallen foes retreat
[Parvati/Padma] We hear the drinking song they're singing:
The Patil twins then led their female comrades in singing the phrase that Luna had intoned from Yorktown over two centuries ago:
[Parvati/Padma] The world turned upside down
[Fleur] The world turned upside down
[Ginny/Luna] The world turned upside down
[Hermione] The world turned upside down
The music had swelled again, and as it reached a spirit-lifting crescendo, the crowd was unable to hold back any longer, and Lafayette and Alex came forward and spurred them on.
[Crowd] Down, down, down, down!
[Lafayette] Freedom for America, Britain and France!
[Crowd] Down, down, down!
[Alex] Gotta start a new nation, gotta meet my son!
[Crowd] Down, down, down!
"We won!" Hermione cheered, throwing her arms around Harry.
"We won!" Harry echoed, his heart soaring as he hugged her back.
"We won!" Ron agreed, high-fiving both of them before they welcomed him into their hug.
"We won!" They shouted at the crowd, along with their DA comrades in the center, plus Alex, John, Lafayette and Fleur.
Hermione joyfully thought to herself that they did indeed sound like people who, against the odds, had turned the world upside down, and her belief was affirmed as the crowd sang back with all its might,
"The world turned upside down!"
The roaring cheers at the end were so loud that they partially drowned out the noise of some of Fred and George's enchanted fireworks, which they had set off in celebration.
Closing Author's Notes
Whew! Even though I was typing this instead of dictating it, I still feel out of breath, but I had fun putting this together and I hope you had fun reading it too – if you didn't, then I don't think I did it right! I'm aiming to have two more chapters to tie things up nicely.