A/N: Here's the first half of the conclusion of Part 1. As a kind of tribute to J.K. Rowling, I included an element of canon in this final battle that I haven't had a chance to incorporate thus far (think big-ass spiders). It's my hope that the more things change from canon in my story, the more they'll stay the same (in a sense). I want to remain true to the spirit of the series, even if I introduce new characters and make Harry and his friends a little bit more dangerous than in canon. Anyway, that's what I'm trying to do, and I leave it to all of you to tell me if I'm succeeding. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Harry Potter

Chapter 16: A Fight in the Forest

In the weeks following the destruction of Riddle's diary, Ginny became a regular member of the group. Ron was particularly hesitant to let her out of his sight, and insisted that she come with them to meals. She even started exercising and joining in meditation exercises with Neville, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They tried to practice when they could, applying the lessons that Sarutobi taught his three students in training so that Neville and Ginny could benefit as well.

Ginny also started attending meetings of the Dueling Club, which were still in full force. Professor Flitwick was reliving the glory days of his youth, when he had been one of the foremost duelists in all of Britain. Sarutobi and Snape continued to assist him, though Snape made it a point to wear a grimace the entire time.

The acceptance that Ginny found with them went a long way towards bringing her out of her shell. In fact, after the first few days she even started snapping at Ron when he became over-protective of her, telling him that she was perfectly capable of looking after herself. She proved as much in Dueling Club, where her quick reflexes made her a formidable opponent capable of holding her own even when facing off against older students.

With the diary gone and Sirius free, Harry was more at peace than he'd been in a long time. However, there were many things keeping him from being entirely at ease. The first was Peter Pettigrew – the vile murderer was still at large. Sirius was also at large, but the universal fear aimed at his godfather was another source of worry for Harry. And then there was Dobby's warning. Harry didn't know what could possibly be worse than Lord Voldemort, but that was what the little elf had said. Dobby had been right about the diary, though, even though Harry still had no idea how the House-Elf could have known about it. If Dobby had been right about the diary, it would be the height of stupidity to ignore his second warning.

So Harry and his friends continued their training with a will. They viewed their time with Sarutobi as being much more important than studying for finals, although Hermione managed to do both with ease. By this time, it was clear that Sarutobi's training had given them a significant edge over their classmates. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the universally acknowledged stars of Dueling Club, and each week they faced challenges from older students who had heard about the exceptionally talented second years and wanted to test them.

After dueling with many 5th, 6th, and 7th-year students, Harry and his friends realized that Sarutobi was right about most wizards. They tended to think in straight lines, and their spells were straightforward and predictable. Even when the older students had more powerful magic than the 2nd-year Gryffindors, they were taken aback by the unconventional techniques that Sarutobi spent so much time drilling them on. Spells to create illusions, charms to throw off the opponent's aim, and curses that attacked from above and below all worked to tip duels in the Gryffindors' favor.

Sarutobi made sure, however, that success in Dueling Club didn't go to their heads. He worked them harder than ever, and created exercises that were much more like actual magical warfare than the civilized, regulated ritual of dueling. He pitted them against magical creatures that he acquired with Hagrid's help, and thanks to Dumbledore he was able to send an increasingly formidable array of magical constructs against his young students. Sometimes he even took the field himself and tested his charges by running them through their entire repertoire of spells and strategies, foiling their every attempt with humiliating ease. As much as they had improved, Harry knew that they had a very long way to go.

It was in the second week of April, when spring was finally beginning to free the land from the clutches of winter, that something happened to break up Harry's routine. It came in the form of a summons from Dumbledore, delivered by Snape after a double Potions lesson one Thursday afternoon. The Potions master's mouth was curled in a permanent sneer when he held Harry back after dismissing the class.

"Dumbledore would like to see you in his office. Perhaps he desires to award you another 100 House Points out of pure favoritism – if so, you have my congratulations."

Harry thought that was the height of unfair. After all, it was Snape who was the master of favoritism, never missing a chance to give one of his Slytherins a leg up over the rest of the students. But Harry could see that Snape was just waiting for him to say something disrespectful, at which point he would take away House Points from Gryffindor with great pleasure. So Harry only nodded, trying to keep his anger from showing, and left the dungeons to go once more to Dumbledore's Office.

There he found someone waiting for him, and it wasn't Dumbledore. This man was much younger, although there was something about his face that made him seem older than his years. It took Harry a moment to realize that he had seen the man's face before, in the album with photos from his parents' time at Hogwarts. More recently, he had also seen the man's face in the Daily Prophet, although the man currently standing across from Harry bore little resemblance to the unshaven escaped convict from the newspaper. This Sirius Black was still thinner than a man of his height should be, but his close-cropped black beard and shoulder-length hair were neat and tidy, and the hesitant smile on his face clearly communicated his goodwill.

Harry froze, staring at his godfather, and an awkward silence stretched between them. Sirius took a halting step forward, then stopped. "Harry," he said in a wondering tone. "It's… good to see you. You look so much like your father, except-"

Harrry smiled wryly, a little more comfortable now that he was hearing that familiar line. "My mother's eyes, right? I get that a lot."

Sirius laughed quietly. "I can see why. Still, it comes as quite a shock."

Harry thought of something that made him worry. "Wait, are you safe here? Dumbledore installed a new security system…"

Sirius looked confused for a second, and then comprehension dawned. "Oh, the Marauders' Map? We have a bit of an understanding, seeing as I helped create the thing."

Harry gaped in astonishment. "You're one of the Marauders? But then…"

"Your father was too," Sirius said, seeing the direction of Harry's thoughts. "So was Remus… and Peter," he added, his dark eyes flashing at the name.

Harry didn't want to ruin his first meeting with Sirius by talking about Pettigrew, so he remained silent. He also had a lot more satisfying things to think about, not the least of which was the prospect of informing the twins that he knew the identities of their idols. He wondered what kind of favors he could wring from them in return for the information, and then reprimanded himself for thinking too much like a Slytherin.

"You… look well," Harry said, not sure how to phrase what he really meant, which was: "you look a lot less crazy than you did in the Daily Prophet articles."

Sirius nodded. "Thanks to Dumbledore. He sent me to a friend of his, who looked after me. Old Mad-Eye wasn't very keen on playing nurse, but he was surprisingly effective. It took me a while to get over the fever I developed after escaping, otherwise I would have met with you much earlier."

Harry had so many questions, but his heart was too full for speech so he didn't ask any of them. On an impulse, he stepped forward quickly and wrapped his arms around Sirius in a powerful hug. Sirius froze, and then squeezed back with all his might.

When Harry finally ended the embrace, he was a little embarrassed to realize he had a few tears welling in the corners of his eyes. He wiped them away quickly, then realized that Sirius had a similar problem. Sirius ruffled his hair, smiling as if he was fit to burst. Then he became suddenly hesitant.

"I… I know this may be a bit sudden," he said haltingly. "But I am your godfather, and that means that your parents wanted me to take care of you, if… anything happened to them. In your letter, you said you lived with your mother's sister. But if you want… you'll always have a home with me."

Harry simply stared for a moment, shell-shocked. After eleven years with people who hated his guts, Sirius was willing to simply… take him away? Harry let himself imagine what it would be like to live with someone who actually cared for him, and found it even harder this time to keep the tears from falling. "I, um…" Harry stammered. "I'd like that." He couldn't begin to say how much, but he thought that Sirius understood.

Sirius nodded happily, beaming back at him. "It might take a little arranging," he said as an afterthought. "The Ministry won't take too kindly to finding out that you were living with an escaped felon. But if you really want to stay with me, we'll figure out everything else when it happens."

Harry was debating if it would be too childish to hug Sirius again when a clamor arose from behind them. It was a mixture of a warning bell and a sound like a Muggle police siren, and it was so loud that it hurt Harry's ears. He and Sirius turned, tracking the sound to its source. It seemed to be coming from a map hung up on the wall behind Dumbledore's desk – it was a map that Harry instantly recognized.

"That's the Marauders' Map," Sirius breathed, "and Dumbledore made it into a security system. Something must be happening!"

They rushed over to inspect the Map, which was entirely blank except for the area around Hagrid's hut. A crowd of named dots was emerging from the boundary of the map nearest to the Forbidden Forest, and their number was increasing rapidly.

"I don't recognize any of these names," Sirius said worriedly. "They're no wizards I've ever heard of."

"Wait," said Harry, leaving in to get a closer look. "I know those names! Ronan, Bane, and Firenze. They're-"

"Centaurs," Dumbledore's voice cut in. Harry and Sirius turned to see the Headmaster approaching. He hadn't made any sound opening the door, and Harry wondered if he might have been waiting nearby the whole time, giving them privacy but standing guard to make sure their reunion wasn't interrupted. That wasn't important now, though. Dumbledore came over to them, watching the map with worry in his eyes.

"Whatever brings the centaurs out of the Forest must be extremely important. To the best of my knowledge, this has never happened before. Mr. Potter, I'm afraid your reunion with Sirius will have to wait a while longer. Would you please return to the Gryffindor common room with all possible haste? Sirius, I would appreciate it if you could wait here until I return."

Dumbledore didn't wait for their replies, instead moving to open the window. There was a musical cry, and Harry saw with astonishment that Fawkes had taken flight. The phoenix flew across the room towards the window, picked Dumbledore up as if he weighed no more than a feather, and flew away out of sight.

Sirius turned to Harry, whose adrenaline was pumping already. "You'd best do as he says, Harry," Sirius told him. "I can see you itching to follow, but it could get messy. If Dumbledore needs any help, I'll be there."

"But he told you to stay," Harry pointed out.

Sirius gave him a crooked grin. "Then it's a good thing he's not my Headmaster anymore, isn't it? No one will see me, don't worry – I'm an old hand with Disillusionment Charms. Dumbledore might need some back-up on this one."

Harry couldn't help but grin. It seemed that Sirius really was a Marauder – his disregard for authority would have astonished even Fred and George. "Take this," he said, reaching into an inner pocket of his robe. "It's an Invisibility Cloak. I keep it with me sometimes just in case. It used to belong to my father, and Dumbledore gave it to me last year."

Sirius took the cloak with an expression of wonder. "Harry, you're a chip off the old block! I'll return it to you safely. You can rest assured – Dumbledore will always have somebody to watch his back when I'm around."

Harry wished he could go with Dumbledore as well, but he knew better than to ignore the Headmaster's request. He felt better knowing that Sirius would be there to help. "I'll see you soon," Harry said, and left the Headmaster's Office. As he took one last look over his shoulder, he saw Sirius settle the cloak around his shoulders and then disappear entirely from sight.

oOoOo

Sarutobi was informed by Armando Dippet that Dumbledore needed him down by the Quidditch pitch – the former Headmaster had a second frame in Sarutobi's office, one that Dumbledore had asked him to put up in case of just such an emergency.

Sarutobi jumped to his feet, alarmed. "What's the problem?"

Armando shook his head. "He didn't tell me, but that ruddy map in his office has been blaring non-stop for hours. He also told me to tell you that all of the students are being sent to the Great Hall, where they will be guarded by the other Professors. This is no joke."

It certainly was not. Sarutobi had a sinking feeling, and he knew very well what was causing it. A disturbance like this, so close to the end of term, was most likely Orochimaru's handiwork. Sarutobi departed for the Quidditch pitch with all possible haste. Since his clone was still watching over Harry Potter, it would dispel if it turned out that Orochimaru was trying to lure him away from the students. But as Sarutobi used the Body Flicker jutsu to move through the castle at his top speed, he was still extremely worried. In warfare, the advantage almost always went to the side that attacked first. The creed of the shinobi was practically based on the preemptive strike. Whatever Orochimaru was up to, Sarutobi would have to think several steps ahead if he hoped to counter it.

Dumbledore was waiting on the lawn in front of the entrance to the Quidditch pitch, next to a large crowd of creatures that Sarutobi had never seen before. They were a lot like horses, but their torsos and heads were human. There were about two hundred of them milling around, and they looked angry.

In the center of the group was a stretcher made of woven rope, on top of which lay the unconscious form of the Groundskeeper, Hagrid.

Sarutobi came to a stop next to Dumbledore, his speed making it seem to the strange creatures as though he had materialized from thin air. A great shout went up, and many nocked arrows to the bows that they all carried. Dumbledore raised his hands high in a peaceful gesture.

"This is Professor Sarutobi. He is a true friend, and a great warrior. Professor Sarutobi, these are the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest. They are a proud and ancient race, and it appears that their ancestral home has come under attack."

Sarutobi bowed to the centaurs, his expression growing grim. "Under attack from what?"

"We're not sure," Dumbledore replied. He gestured to one of the centaurs that was standing a few feet in front of the rest. "Bane tells me that the Forest has been more, ah… forbidding of late."

Bane took another step forward, apparently unwilling to let anyone, even Dumbledore, speak for him.

"The stars have not given us any indication of this," he said angrily. "It is as if they have turned their faces from us. And now Dark creatures roam the woods which have been our home for time out of mind."

Sarutobi gathered that these centaurs were seers of a sort, using the stars to predict events. It seemed far-fetched, but Sarutobi was not one to dismiss any kind of magic in this strange world. "Perhaps your stars could not see what was coming because the threat is one that originated beyond their sight," he offered. The centaurs grew abruptly silent, and turned as one to regard him. "There is a man who comes from a different world, one with different stars," Sarutobi said. He didn't want to reveal his secret before many people, but since it was very likely that Orochimaru was behind this assault on the centaurs' home, it was only right that they knew. "He seeks to kill me, and after that he will very likely embark on a mission of subjugation, slavery, and death."

Bane eyed Sarutobi with a wary curiosity. "The stars did not warn us of you either, two-legs."

Sarutobi bowed his head in acknowledgment. "That is because I am from the same world. I want nothing more than to go home, but even if I knew how I could not leave before killing Orochimaru. His very existence is a disease that blights everything it touches. If you allow me, I will fight with you to reclaim your home."

Bane retreated and engaged in a swift, whispered conversation with several of the centaurs nearest him. After a few seconds he turned back to Sarutobi, his eyes flashing. "We accept your offer. Can you tell us anything about the Dark creatures that serve him? The Forest has new predators now, ones that turn the rest of the Forest against us. The Unicorns are fleeing, and the Acromantulas are more aggressive of late."

"I don't know what form the danger will take," Sarutobi admitted. "But from what I know of Orochimaru, he likes to experiment on the living to make them into weapons. In this world of magic, I shudder to think what allies he may have created."

Dumbledore, who had been listening quietly to this exchange, chose this moment to cut in. "I believe Hagrid might know more," he said, nodding at the Groundskeeper, who was still out cold on the makeshift sling. "I assume that it was not you who did this to him?" he added as an afterthought.

Bain pawed at the ground with one angry hoof. "Of course not, Dumbledore! We found him like this, stunned at the edge of the Forest. There was something approaching him, some Dark creature, that wanted to finish what it started. Finding Hagrid only confirmed what we knew to be true: we are at war!"

"Let us see if Hagrid has any new information for us," Dumbledore said gently. He pointed his wand at the Groundskeeper, the centaurs scrambling to get out of the way. "Ennervate." Hagrid arched his back when the beam of light hit him, his eyes snapping open.

"Whoa!" He came to his feet with a mighty roar, laying about with the umbrella gripped in his hand. The centaurs jumped further back, loudly voicing their disapproval.

"Hagrid, calm down," Dumbledore implored. "You're safe, and we need your help preparing for whatever awaits us in the Forest."

Dumbledore's voice brought Hagrid back to the present. He stopped waving his umbrella wildly, and spoke to the Headmaster urgently.

"There's sommat wrong with the Forest, Headmaster," Hagrid said quickly. "I was takin' a look, checkin' on some things, yeh know. Next thing I know, some great beast is stalkin' me. I went back ter the Forest's edge, but I wasn't fast enough. It caught up ter me. I saw a red light, an' tha's the last thing I remember. I thought I was done for, an' no mistake."

"You have the centaurs to thank for your deliverance, Hagrid," Dumbledore said, gesturing at the giant sling in which the centaurs had carried him. "Do you have any idea what that light could have been?"

Hagrid scratched his head. "Not rightly sure, Headmaster. But it seemed like it coulda' bin a Stunner. Thing is, I'm resistant to 'em-" he broke off, looking at Professor Sarutobi nervously. "Thick skin, yeh know," he muttered sheepishly.

Dumbledore and Sarutobi exchanged worried looks. A monster with the ability to cast spells strong enough to overcome Hagrid's natural resistance? That could only be Orochimaru's handiwork.

Bane and some of the other centaurs were beginning to grow restless. "We know all we need," Bane declared. "An evil power is trying to take our Forest, and we will not stand idly by. Dumbledore, will you lend us your aid?"

"Of course," Dumbledore said at once. "I have always been a friend to the centaurs, and I'm not about to turn my back on you now. I've already sent an urgent message to the Ministry, requesting that a task force of Aurors be sent to the Forest immediately – I though it only best to take precautions."

"The Ministry is no friend to non-humans," Bane declared angrily. "We shall not wait to see if they deign to help us in our hour of need. Let them join the fight as reinforcements if they can truly want to help. We march now!"

The centaurs gave answered roars of approval, and Sarutobi could see that they were not going to agree to wait. That was all right with him, however, because the sooner they began the fight, the sooner Sarutobi could settle things with Orochimaru. Somewhere out in those trees, Sarutobi knew, the Snake Sannin was waiting. He could feel it.

"The time to act is now," Sarutobi agreed, looking over at Dumbledore. "We have a strong force of centaurs, and a strike team of four wizards to counter whatever magical aid Orochimaru has found for his forces. With Aurors on the way, it's best that we make our move now, and size up the situation before they get here. Then we can deploy them most effectively."

"Did you say four wizards?" Hagrid asked, picking at his ear with one huge forefinger. "I on'y count three, an' that's if yeh're countin' me."

"I certainly am," Sarutobi grinned, looking at Hagrid's umbrella. "Unless I'm mistaken, that thing is good for more than holding off the rain. And as for there being four of us, well… an Invisibility Cloak is not quite as effective when you insist on breathing through your mouth… Sirius."

There was an embarrassed coughing, and then Sirius stepped out from underneath the Invisibility Cloak. Hagrid jumped back and squawked with surprise. "Sirius Black!"

Dumbledore stepped in between Sirius and the outraged Groundskeeper. "Hagrid! We have no time for this. I can assure you, Sirius wasn't responsible for betraying Lily and James. The true murderer is still alive and on the run."

Sirius poked his head around Dumbledore, his expression almost painfully earnest. "I swear to you Hagrid, I didn't do it! Harry believes me, too – we've already met."

Hagrid calmed down enough to lower his umbrella, though his breath still came in short, angry gasps. "Headmaster… yeh're sure abou' this?"

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Yes, Hagrid."

The Groundskeeper finally nodded, peering at Sirius with wonder in his eyes. Behind him, the army of centaurs looked thoroughly confused.

"If we have all that out of the way," Sarutobi said genially, "perhaps we might leave for the Forest? We have a snake to exterminate."

oOoOo

Sarutobi led the small army of centaurs through the Forbidden Forest, treading carefully through the tangled brush without making the smallest of sounds. His efforts at stealth were more wishful thinking than anything, however – Hagrid was marching beside him, and the large Groundskeeper was making enough noise to wake the dead. Dumbledore and Sirius were no woodsmen either, but even they winced every time Hagrid accidentally snapped another fallen branch.

The centaurs fanned out behind the four magic-users, bows drawn and sharp eyes peering into the darkness for any sign of Orochimaru's forces. At first they hadn't wanted to take orders from Sarutobi, but their reticence hadn't lasted long. Sarutobi had picked up Bane with one hand, using chakra to boost his strength, and thrown him at the nearest tree. Some of the other centaurs had been ready to turn on him after that, but Bane came to his senses in time to call them off. Since then, none had questioned his fitness to lead – at least, not to his face, and that was all that Sarutobi cared about. As long as they followed his orders, he didn't need to impress them with his experience leading men and women into battle.

The Forbidden Forest was ominously empty. No birds chirped in the trees, no animals rustled through the leaves and bushes on the ground. It was utterly quiet, with the exception of Hagrid's stomping feet. That silence was as good as a warning bell for Sarutobi, who knew from experience in the forests of Konoha that true silence could only mean invaders. The daily rhythm of life in the woods always had a kind of music to it, if you only knew how to listen. The oppressive quiet they encountered now meant that something had scared away the usual residents of the Forbidden Forest.

With his chakra-enhanced senses, Sarutobi picked up on the location of their enemies even before the centaurs. He stopped, signaling for his ragtag force to do the same. "They have us surrounded," he said grimly. "They must have circled in behind to cut us off, then approached from all sides until they caught us in their trap."

"Who did?" Hagrid asked, confused.

Sarutobi checked that his ninja tools were readily available in his belt pouch, and frowned grimly. "I don't know. But whatever's out there, we'll be ready."

He scanned the surroundings, realizing that the area in which they were gathered was not working to their advantage. The dense tree cover would allow their assailants to get close, and the centaurs would have to aim at targets both at ground level and in the trees. Sarutobi would have to make some changes to the terrain.

"Dumbledore," he called out, "can you Transfigure enough trees and create a clearing large enough for all of us?"

Dumbledore looked slightly curious, but only nodded.

"Do it!" Sarutobi told him. "We stand a better chance in an open area."

Dumbledore raised his wand and spoke a few words that shook the Forest to its core. At least twenty giant trees began to shrink, pulling in their branches and collapsing in on themselves. Soon all of them were standing together in a make-shift clearing, with small, leafy bushes where there had once been mighty trees. Sarutobi surveyed the results of Dumbledore's magic with satisfaction. The ability to reshape the terrain according to one's whim was unbelievably useful, and Sarutobi would have killed to be have possessed that ability during the previous shinobi wars. In order to clear that many trees, Sarutobi would have had to either cut them down or burn them: if he cut them down, they would have obstructed the battlefield just as surely as they would have standing; and if he burned them, the rest of the forest would have burned down as well. Wizard's magic, as Sarutobi had long suspected, had the potential to be just as useful in warfare as ninjutsu or genjutsu.

Sarutobi raised his voice, speaking to all of the centaurs as well as the wizards at his side.

"They're coming! We'll form up in a square facing outward. Dumbledore, Sirius, Hagrid – we each take one side, in front of the centaurs. Archers in double-file, two lines of twenty-five centaurs on each side."

There was no time for argument, and no one tried. The centaurs galloped into formation, abandoning stealth to form ranks like Sarutobi had directed, as quickly as possible. They formed a tight square, with two ranks facing in each direction so that they could stagger their volleys. Sarutobi stepped in front of the line facing north, and the other three magic-users agreed on which direction to take. Sarutobi knew that the ability to use magic made them the most powerful members of this fight, no matter how accurate the centaur archers might be. It would be up to them to minimize the casualties that the centaurs suffered.

At first there was no indication that they were not alone, except for the vibrations in the ground that were too subtle for any but Sarutobi to sense. Then a slow rustling floated in from the outlying trees, along with a menacing clicking that rose in volume with each passing second. A second later Sarutobi saw the first of the dark forms scuttling around at the edges of his vision, and before long it was clear that a horde of large creatures had them completely surrounded. Even with Sarutobi and the wizards, the centaurs were laughably outnumbered.

At that moment, Sarutobi wished more than ever that he was back in Konoha. Of course, he thought that every day. Rare were the nights when the faces of Naruto, Konohamaru, Asuma, and all of his other beloved shinobi did not visit him in dreams. But now, looking at the terrors that lurked in the darkness, Sarutobi would have given a great deal to be back home. At least enemy shinobi were still people and not monsters from nightmare. Were those… Sarutobi blinked twice, hoping that his eyes weren't deceiving him… were those giant spiders?

Their enemies were coming closer now, ever so slowly, and the rest of Sarutobi's allies began to see what he saw. "Acromantulas," Dumbledore said, his mouth twisting in a severe frown. "There may be other creatures as well, but the majority of our foes appear to be Acromantulas."

Sarutobi felt it safe to assume that "Acromantula" was wizard-speak for "preposterously big spider." He was only glad that none of his shinobi had ever possessed the Summoning Contract for the Spider clan – they were disgusting, bloodthirsty beasts that would eat their offspring as soon as look at them.

Hagrid was particularly affected by the knowledge that they would be fighting Acromantulas. He took a step forward, and his voice boomed like thunder. "Aragog!" he cried, silencing the chittering of the advancing spiders. "ARAGOG! I know yeh're out there! Why're yeh doin' this?"

There was a tense pause, as if the Forest itself was holding its breath. The amorphous black mass of spiders seemed to split down the middle, respectfully drawing back to create an opening. A solitary form walked forward ponderously. It was a spider many times larger than the rest, and its many eyes burned with an alien intelligence.

"I am sorry, Hagrid," the spider said in a voice burdened with a weariness that astonished Sarutobi. "I wish there was some other way. But there is nothing I can do – if we don't fight, we die. He will kill us all."

Sarutobi had no need to ask who He might be. Somehow it didn't surprise him that Orochimaru had managed to intimidate a race of giant spiders into attacking the centaurs. It was just like the Snake Sannin to intimidate the locals into acting as his cannon fodder. The giant spider, apparently named Aragog, continued to speak to Hagrid.

"I thank you for everything you've done for me, Hagrid," Aragog said. "Your name will be remembered by my progeny, for as long as there are any of us left."

The spider retreated slowly, easing its bulk past its smaller and lighter relatives. Aragog remained impervious to Hagrid's increasingly desperate pleas.

"Peace, Hagrid," the Headmaster said at last. "It is clear that your friendship is helpless to stop the coming battle. Orochimaru has much to answer for."

Indeed he has, Sarutobi silently agreed. And he will.

But first, they would have to survive. From the surrounding trees, the clicking and rustling started again, growing until it became so loud it drowned out thought. The Acromantulas were working themselves into a frenzy. Soon they would attack.

oOoOo

While the centaurs were preparing for the fight of their lives, Hogsmeade Village witnessed the appearance of two unexpected visitors. Lucius Malfoy appeared outside of the Hog's Head, his House-Elf Dobby following close on his heels, cringing every other second as though he expected to be hit. Following the new regulations put in place by Headmaster Dumbledore regarding visitors to Hogwarts, Lucius paid a quick visit to Aberforth at the Hog's Head. He told the bartender he was going to Hogwarts to bring his son home, and Aberforth had no reason not to believe him, even though Lucius seemed tense and unusually on edge. After receiving two magical Visitors' Passes, one for himself and one for Dobby, Lucius marched regally out of the village and up to the Castle.

He entered the front door with a flourish, finding the Entrance Hall empty except for Professor McGonagall. She was standing guard before the door that opened into the Great Hall, and behind the door Lucius could hear the sound of hundreds of students chattering in confusion and speculation. Lucius gave a sigh of relief – he had guessed that Dumbledore would respond to the threat from the Forbidden Forest by gathering the students in a safe place, and he had been right.

Now there was nothing stopping him from carrying out Orochimaru's orders. But first… he would save Draco. Lucius knew he was too far in thrall to Orochimaru to save himself, but he would do everything he could to make sure that Draco made it through the coming trials unscathed.

"Lucius," McGonagall said, sounding surprised. "What brings you here?"

"I've come for my son," replied Lucius. "With everything I've heard about the Chamber of Secrets and basilisks running loose, I no longer have confidence in Dumbledore's ability to keep my child safe. I am going to take Draco home, and then I will be having strong words with the Board of Governors."

Professor McGonagall, to her credit, weathered his accusations with considerable poise. "You are a bit behind the times, Lucius. The Heir of Slytherin has been brought to justice, and the students are completely safe."

Lucius pointed behind Professor McGonagall to the Great Hall, where by the sound emerging from behind the door, every single student in the school must be gathered. "If there's no danger, then why have you gathered all of the students here? From what I remember, that only happens when there is something wrong."

"This is just a precaution until the Headmaster tells us what's going on," Minerva said staunchly. Lucius hid his grimace – in a few hours, the Headmaster would likely be dead. Lucius could never have expected actually wanting the Headmaster to prevail in a fight against evil, but this time he wouldn't mind if Dumbledore managed to defeat Orochimaru. However, he didn't believe there was any chance of that happening. Orochimaru was simply too powerful. Lucius wasn't even sure he was completely human.

"I don't care what's going on," Lucius said brusquely. "Please bring me my son immediately." Lucius noticed Dobby making awkward facial expressions, no doubt doing his best to tip off Professor McGonagall about the real reason that Lucius was here. He was too constrained by Lucius' direct order to do anything more. Lucius rapped Dobby on the head with his cane, making Dobby stop his efforts and instead clutch his aching head.

Minerva's mouth pursed a little at this open display of cruelty – though Lucius considered it mere discipline. "I'll be right back," she said, and went into the Great Hall. A few seconds later she re-emerged, Draco walking slowly behind her. When he saw his father, Draco's face lit up. Lucius nodded to him gravely, and Draco remembered that Malfoys weren't supposed to show affection in public. Lucius guessed that the lack of letters from home had been harder on Draco than he'd anticipated, if he was forgetting his lessons enough to show such open emotion.

Lucius gestured to Dobby. "Draco, you will be returning home immediately. I have some matters to discuss with Professor McGonagall, and then I will return and see about arrangements for continuing your education."

Draco's jaw dropped, but he kept his wits about him enough not to argue. Dobby stepped forward, taking out a small key from inside his robes. It was a Portkey that Lucius had prepared to bring Dobby and his son back to the safety of Malfoy Manor. He didn't want his son in the way when things started to get bloody.

Still looking confused, and more than a little hurt by his father's apparent disregard, Draco touched the key with his right hand. Dobby and Draco disappeared, leaving Lucius alone in the entrance hall with McGonagall.

Lucius sighed with relief. For now, at least, Draco was safe. McGonagall looked at him askance, her mouth pursed in a very disapproving fashion. "What was it you wanted to discuss with me?" she asked pointedly.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Lucius said, drawing his wand and casting his cane aside. "But I have to ask you to hand Harry Potter over to me. If you do that right now, no one will get hurt."

Minerva stared at him, too stunned to respond. There was a flash of movement, and then a second person stood next to the Transfiguration Professor. It was an old man wearing white robes with red trim. On his head was an angular white hat featuring a strange-looking symbol etched in red. This must be the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor that Draco had written home about – Professor Sarutobi. Lucius didn't know much about him, except that for some reason Lord Orochimaru hated him.

"I think it would be wise to consider this man a threat, Professor," the Defence Professor said to McGonagall. "I took the liberty of informing the other teachers."

As he finished speaking, the door to the Great Hall burst open, and Professors Sprout, Snape, and Flitwick raced to stand next to McGonagall.

They reacted to the wand in his hand with varying levels of alarm. "Lucius," Snape demanded, "what are you thinking? Have you gone mad? Is this some insane desire to avenge the Dark Lord?"

Lucius laughed at the sheer absurdity of it all. When one was bound by a force too strong to fight, powerless to oppose one's fate, the only thing left to do was laugh. "I'm not Bellatrix, Severus. The Dark Lord is gone, and I would not see him back again. Still, I have no choice. I tell you again: give Harry Potter to me, and no one need be harmed."

"This is lunacy, Lucius," McGonagall said crisply. "You cannot hope to defeat us all. Throw down your wand, and Dumbledore will be merciful."

Lucius looked at the teachers arrayed against him, the strongest spellcasters that Hogwarts could muster. Hilarity rose like a bubble in his throat, and he started laughing so hard he could barely breathe. Orochimaru had taken far more from him than Lucius could ever regain: his freedom, his self-esteem, his family. But he had at least given him power.

Lucius tapped that power, feeling the heady rush as Orochimaru's Curse Mark flooded his veins with liquid fire. He screamed with the pain, pain that was barely distinguishable from ecstasy. Lucius didn't need a mirror to know the transformation that he was undergoing – he had done this before, although Orochimaru had been there to guide him through the process. Dark, jagged lines spread over Lucius' body, originating from the teardrop-shaped Curse Mark and extending all the way down to his fingertips. His skin became a hellish jigsaw puzzle of black lines that elicited gasps of surprise and fear from the awestruck Professors.

Magic flowed through his entire body, a river of ice and fire that was both impossibly sweet and unutterably painful. Lucius surrendered to the irresistible pull of the power coursing through his veins.

"Do you really think," he cried, laughing at the pitiful guardians before him, "that it is Dumbledore's mercy that matters now?"

A/N: I'll see you all next time with the conclusion to Year Two! I just want to say, to clear up any possible confusion, that the Sarutobi confronting Lucius is a Shadow Clone. It only has a fraction of the real Sarutobi's chakra, and its original purpose was to dispel if Harry was in danger from Orochimaru, so that Sarutobi could go to his defense. But Sarutobi is tied up fighting Orochimaru's forces in the Forest, so this time Harry won't have anyone swooping in to save the day like with the Basilisk. And make no mistake, Lucius with a Curse Mark is no pushover.