Chapter 65 : One down, one to go.
Emma looked over at Tom, who was laughing hysterically, rocking back and forth on his chair. Her eyebrow slowly rose and then she sighed, shaking her head.
"What is WRONG with you?" she asked, as he tried to catch his breath.
"It 's just . . . just . . . " he gasped. "Can you imagine Helena and Helen working out that scene with Greg? They would have had such fun!" And he was off on another fit of giggles.
"Greg? Who is that?" Sirius asked.
"The stunt coordinator," answered Rupert. "See, it's his job to make all the physical action look real and he stages all the fights, duels, all the bits where we actually have to do physical things. Actually, sometimes it's so dangerous, we had stunt people take our places, dressed to look like us, but much less likely to get hurt . . . they do this sort of thing for a living."
"But would Helen and Helena, whom I assume played Bella and myself, have actually done this scene in person . . . and the one playing me . . . " Narcissa looked at Tom.
"Helen . . . McCrory," Tom informed her.
"She would actually hit . . . Helena . . . Bella?" Narcissa asked, eyes wide in question.
"Oh, no . . . well, maybe accidentally, if Helena didn't move just right . . . here, Rupert . . . punch me," said Tom, as he stood and looked over to his red-headed friend.
"Okay . . . ready?" Rupert stood and turned to face Tom, who nodded.
Rupert pulled back his arm and then swung at Tom, who jerked his head, just as Dan smacked his own hands together to give a bit of sound effects to the movement. There were gasps, but as Tom turned back to face the audience, he was grinning.
"He never touched me, but with added sound effects," he turned and bowed to Dan. "It looked, for all the world, as if Rupert just cleaned my clock."
"Cleaned his clock?" Fred repeated.
"Nice turn of phrase," agreed George.
"Write that down," suggested Fred.
"Got it," George replied, even as he pulled a bit of parchment from his pocket.
"Anyway," Emma gave the twins a look and then continued. "It seems the whole series of separate fights were slowly migrating toward the courtyard in front of the Great Hall. Did any Death Eaters manage to get into the school?"
"They did," Harry informed them. "The ones fighting their way from the greenhouses were 'pushing' my group back along the walkway toward the Great Hall and the biggest group, now that the other groups had joined together, was in the Cobblestone Courtyard and it was splitting; half heading toward our group and the rest heading into the Staircase Tower."
"The ones who had stayed behind on the causeway to move the dead giants off , and despite the constant, persistent and painful bombardment from Sybil, had almost made it to the Entrance Courtyard by then, too," added Hermione.
X X X
Just before the Death Eaters from the greenhouses made it across the viaduct, Neville's group joined up with Harry's, having sprinted thru the archway from the Cobblestone Courtyard.
"Ah, the Weasley re-enforcements have arrived," laughed Victor, as Bill smiled and clapped him on the back in greeting.
"How's it going, Victor?" asked the oldest Weasley sibling, firing off a Jinx at the Death Eaters working their way toward them.
"Vell, not bad, so far, but it's getting a little crowded; what do you say to backing up a bit toward the Great Hall," he added, with a wink.
"Sounds like an excellent plan," Bill agreed, as the whole group began to lead the invaders toward the huge Entrance Courtyard.
X X X
Meanwhile, as the fighting got more intense, the hospital wing was seeing a few more injuries, keeping Madam Pomfrey and Healer Trieber quite busy.
"Mister Creevy, this is the third time I've had to patch you up!" scolded Poppy. "You really must try to be more careful!"
"I'm fine! It's just a cut!" protested Dennis. "I wouldn't have worried about it but Mrs. Weasley insisted Lolly bring me up here."
"That's right, Missy Poppy, Mrs. Wheezy is telling Lolly to takes Master Dennis here, so Lolly did as her is told," explained Dennis' 'partner', nodding. "And Lolly doesn't want to displease Mrs. Wheezy."
"'I should think not," replied Poppy, winking at Dennis. "I know I wouldn't, so good job, Lolly."
"Thank you, Missy Poppy," grinned the House Elf.
"Right! Off you go, you two!"
Poppy stood back as Lolly took Dennis's hand and 'Pop' they were gone.
Katie Trieber walked over, having just finished stabilizing the broken leg of one of the Death Eaters who had been brought to them for treatment. There were now a total of eight, lying on cots in the corner of the hospital wing, bandaged and sedated, and also tied down to their resting places with magical ropes. Most of the injuries were serious, but not life threatening; they'd recover in plenty of time for their trials when the battle was over.
Looking out of the window, the two women could no longer see the fight as the whole ruckus had shifted into the Staircase Tower or through the archway leading to the Entrance Courtyard. Poppy put her arm around Katie's shoulder.
"He'll be fine, dear."
Katie nodded, but that didn't lessen her worry about Severus.
X X X
Severus was right in the thick of the fighting, as Katie imagined, battling his former comrades, in the company of Kingsley and Aberforth, on one of the landings in the Grand Staircase. All around them, others were equally as engaged in dueling the Death Eaters.
Most of the Death Eaters had been surprised, once inside where there was more light , to see that more than half of the defenders were students . . . children! But that surprise was quickly replaced with the realization that these underage Witches and Wizards were not just desperate fighters, but downright fierce, dangerous opponents, with formidable dueling skills.
Horace Slughorn and Lucius Malfoy were off to the right, battling the Lestrange brothers. Molly, Arthur, Remus and Sirius were on various other flights of stairs and landings with the students; Ron, Hannah, Dennis and Colin, Lavender, Hermione, Cho, Ernie and Justin and Draco, even as more Death Eaters and defenders poured into the huge towering space. Some Death Eaters were 'Apparating' around to try and get a better vantage point, only to find that the students were following right behind; there was no sneaking up on this lot!
X X X
Out on the canyon-side walkway, the older Weasley brothers, Harry, Victor and the others were joined by Tonks, Oliver, Romilda, Neville, Seamus, Dean and Lee. As a group they were slowly backing toward another small knot of defenders in the Entrance Courtyard; Sybil, the Patil twins, Megan, Morag, Lisa, Anthony and Terry.
As the two groups combined everyone spread out to have more room to duel, even as the Death Eaters finally managed to get across the Bridge and join the other ones from the various Courtyard fights. Spells were flying fast and thick but the Death Eaters were getting the worst of it.
X X X
Bella's eyes fluttered and a groan escaped her lips. She struggled up into a sitting position, propping herself up with one arm as she felt her sore jaw with her other hand.
"OW!" she yipped, then her eyes become narrow slits when the memory of why her jaw was throbbing came back to her. "I'll kill her," she growled.
Struggling to her feet, weaving for a few seconds, she looked around the now deserted Courtyard and realized the battle had moved inside, toward the Great Hall.
"Oh, goody," she hissed. "'I'll be able to kill my dear sister in front of my Lord . . . and that traitor Lucius . . . and that brat of a nephew of mine!"
Suddenly, she realized she didn't have her wand. Looking around frantically, she spotted her knife and ran over to snatch it off the stone floor. Next, she approached the still figure of one of the Death Eaters. Nudging him with the toe of her boot, bent over and grabbed the wand from the lifeless fingers.
"This will do," she muttered, as she inspected the wand, swishing it to get the feel of its powers.
Then she looked skyward and 'Apparated' to the front doors of the Entrance Hall. Ignoring the dueling taking place in front of her, she slipped through and strode over to the doors of the Great Hall. She turned to station herself as the self-appointed 'gatekeeper', waiting for the outer doors to open.
'Won't those fools be surprised to find me here!' she thought, a crooked smile spreading across her face.
X X X
"Bumpy."
'Pop'
"Yes, Headmaster?"
"Would you be so kind as to go to Harry Potter and the Malfoys and warn them that Bella is waiting at the doors to the Great Hall," replied Albus, as he poured over the Marauder's Map, trying to keep tabs on everything at once.
"Yes, Headmaster."
'Pop'
X X X
'Pop'
"Master Harry?"
"Hey, Bumpy!" smiled Harry, even as he snatched the House Elf out of harm's way, a chunk of carved stone from the nearby covered walkway smashing down where the diminutive creature had been standing seconds before.
"Eeep!" squeaked the House Elf, his large eyes opening even further in shock. "Oh, thank you, Master Harry! You is saving Bumpy!"
"Yes, that would have given you quite a headache," Harry answered. "Can't have that, now, can we?" he added, knocking a Death Eater over backward with a well aimed 'Stupify'.
"No! Bumpy would have been very hurt! Thank you, Master Harry!" the Elf gasped.
"What can I do for you, Bumpy?" asked Harry, getting the House Elf to focus on his reason for appearing in the middle of the battle.
"Oh, yes! Bumpy is to tell Master Harry that Missy Bella is at the door to the Great Hall and Headmaster Albus says Bumpy should tell you and Missy Cissa and Master Lucius and Master Draco."
"AH, well, thanks for the news, Bumpy. You go ahead and tell the Malfoys and we'll just deal with her when we get there," Harry told the little messenger.
"Bumpy will go now!"
'Pop'
The word was quickly spread about who was waiting for them just inside the doors and it put a smile on several faces in anticipation of how Bella would meet her end.
X X X
'Pop'
"Missy Cissa?"
" 'Petrificus Totalus'!" shouted Narcissa, before turning to see who had called her name. She heard, with no small satisfaction, the sound of Yaxley's body rolling, 'thud, thud, thud', down a flight of stairs. "Hello, who are you?"
"Bumpy, Missy Cissa. I has been sent to tell you that Missy Bella is standing at the doors to the Great Hall, waiting."
"I see. . . well, thank you very much," nodded Cissa, hitting a nearby Death Eater with a 'Stinging Hex'.
"Yes, Missy Cissa. Bumpy is telling Master Lucius and Master Draco also."
"Oh, splendid. Well, carry on!"
'Pop'
X X X
'Pop'
"Master Draco?"
"Oh, hello there. Have some news for me, do you?"
"Yes. Bumpy is telling Master Draco the hims Aunty Bella is waiting outside the Great Hall."
"Splendid! Thanks, Bumpy," grinned Draco, as he turned to duel with Gregory Goyle's father.
"You is welcome, Master Draco!"
'Pop'
X X X
'Pop'
"Master Lucius?"
Lucius spared a second to look down and see a House Elf standing between Horace Slughorn and himself.
"Yes? What can I do for you?" he asked, ducking a flaming spell and answering with one of his own.
"Bumpy is telling Master Lucius that Missy Bella is waiting at the doors to the Great Hall."
"Is she really? Splendid! I look forward to seeing her there. Thank you for the news, Bumpy!"
"Yes, Master Lucius."
'Pop'
"Did you hear that, Rudolphus? Seems Bella has recovered from my wife's right cross and repositioned herself at the doors to the Great Hall." Lucius informed his brother-in-law. "I bet a bag of Galleons she's not in the best of moods . . . 'Supify'!"
Rudolphus deflected Lucius' spell and stepped behind a pillar to catch his breath.
"I don't need to bet on her mood, Lucius . . ." he shouted back. "I'm married to the Witch . . .and I know very well she's way beyond being angry at this point." He laughed aloud. "Better you facing her, than me!"
Rabastan took this exchange to swing out and aim a spell at Lucius, who jumped aside just in time.
" 'Bombarda'!" shouted Lucius, aiming over Rabastan's head, dislodging a large chunk of the ceiling, which rained down and knocked Rabastan to the floor, unconscious.
"Duffy!" Lucius called.
'Pop"
"Yes, Master Lucius?"
Lucius pointed to the figure lying on the stairs across the landing.
"Take Master Rabastan to the hospital wing, Duffy, that's a good lad!"
"Yes, Master Lucius," Duffy smiled up at his tall, blond friend.
'Pop'
X X X
'Pop'
Duffy appeared in the Hospital Wing, holding the hand of the still form of Rabastan Lestrange, sprawled on the floor.
"Oh my goodness!" Poppy came over and looked down at the Death Eater, his robes covered with bits of stone and mortar, blood oozing from a cut on his head.
Katie came up beside the Hogwarts Healer and gasped.
"That's Rabastan Lestrange, Bella's brother-in-law!"
"Really? Well, we'd better get him settled and treated, then," replied Poppy grimly, even as she floated him over and onto one of the cots next to the other Death Eater patients.
"What happened?" Katie turned and asked the House Elf.
"Him was dueling Master Lucius, Missy Katie. The ceiling fell and hit him on the head."
"Thank you. . . Duffy, isn't it?"
"Yes, Miss, and you is welcome."
'Pop'
X X X
The doors to the Great Hall creaked open a bit, causing Bella to whirl around and take a look to scan the interior. When she saw the Dark Lord sitting in the Headmaster's chair on the dais, she threw her head back and shrieked with laughter, then skipped the length of the Great hall, to knee in front of her Master.
"I'm glad to see you in such good spirits, Bella," drawled Voldemort. "What news do you bring me?"
"Your faithful followers are herding those misbegotten, pathetic defenders of this rock pile straight to you, Master. They will soon be groveling at your feet, begging for mercy," Bella informed him, a crooked smile on her face.
"I see, and Harry Potter is . . . ?"
"Outside in the Courtyard, Master. I spotted him as I 'Apparated' to the hallway," she answered, pointing back toward the exterior doors.
"And your sister?" he questioned, knowing how eager Bella was to enact her revenge on Narcissa.
"Somewhere in the middle of that mass of defenders, along with Lucius and Draco, my Lord. As is Severus," she added.
"I see." Voldemort waved his wand and a chair appeared next to Bella. "Have a seat, my pet, and we will wait together."
"Yes, Master," Bella replied, sitting in the proffered perch at her Master's feet.
X X X
Rabastan could hear someone walking beside him, even as he realized he was lying on a cot. His head was throbbing and as he tried to reach up to rub his forehead, he found he was being restrained. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw a familiar face bending over him.
"Healer Treiber," he croaked, then cleared his throat. "Why am I not surprised to see you here." Raising his head, carefully, he scanned the room. "I see some of my fellow Death Eaters have had the pleasure of your skillful attention," he added, having seen the others on their cots in the row next to him.
"Ah, yes. We helped those who needed medical attention . . . as I said, I treat the patient then ask questions, and you required my services, so you were brought to me here," Katie cheerfully answered, even as she ran a scan over the bound Death Eater lying before her. "Bit of a concussion, but nothing serious; you should be all better by afternoon, latest."
"By then it should all be over . . . I'll be sure and put in a good word with the Dark Lord for you," replied Rabastan.
"Better I should report that you were a co-operative patient, I think. In the meantime, you should rest . . . 'Somnus' ", she smiled as she waved her wand.
"But . . . " Rabastan's eyes closed and his head lolled to the side.
"They look so innocent when they're asleep, don't they?" asked Poppy, as she walked down the row of prisoners, running a scan on each as she passed.
Katie giggled but turned at the sound, 'Pop', of an arriving House Elf.
"Colin! Not you, too!" laughed Katie. "We've just sent your brother back!" She walked over, shaking her head. "Alright, what's wrong?"
Colin Creevy pointed, with not a little pride, to a nasty looking burn on his shin. Katie shook her head as she started treating the youngster. "You and your brother are enjoying this way too much, you know that?!"
X X X
The doors to the Entrance Hall swung open even as the battle taking place in the Staircase Tower spilled into the area in front of the Great Hall. The tidal wave of dueling Death Eaters and defenders flowed into the building and then into the Great Hall; spells flying, shouts and screams echoing eerily, bits of the building crumbling and falling as deflected jinxes, hexes and spells hit the stone walls.
Bella stood and then mounted the dais to have a better line of sight, scanning the milling crowd for her sister.
"Patience, Bella . . . all will be taken care of in time," hissed Voldemort.
Bella nodded, but kept a watchful eye on the mass of Witches and Wizards before her. The Dark Lord sat, gazing around as if watching a Quidditch match; seeing the teachers, students and blood traitors fighting against his faithful Death Eaters, nonchalantly deflecting the occasional spell streaking his way with a wave of his hand. But he hadn't located Harry yet and that vexed him . . . was Potter hiding, letting his friends do all the fighting? 'Not very Gryffindor of him', he thought, with a smirk.
Suddenly, he spotted Harry in the doorway, standing with one of the Weasleys and Professor Flitwick, the latter floating a block of stone into the center of the open space.
"Thanks, Professor," said Ron, even as the little Wizard scuttled off to join in the battle.
"Ready Ron?" asked Harry, as he lifted the Slytherin Locket, dangling from its chain, for Voldemort to see.
"You bet," replied Ron, drawing the Gryffindor Sword out of the scabbard lashed to his back, where he'd been carrying it through the whole evening. Grasping it tightly with both hands, he planted his feet and got set to destroy the Horcrux inside the Locket.
Voldemort quickly stood, shock and anger flashing in his eyes, Bella looking back and forth between the two boys standing in the doorway and her Master. She didn't understand what was happening, but recognized the rising temper of the Dark Lord, who stepped down off the dais, pulling his wand. Bella scrambled aside and waited. In fact, the entire room seemed to suddenly suspend all motion; shouting ceased, spell casting stopped, as all became aware of something happening between the Dark Lord and Harry.
Harry turned and laid the Locket on the flat stone surface and held onto the chain, backing away to give Ron clear access to the Horcrux. Just as Voldemort raised his wand to send a curse at the two boys, there was a clattering of hooves as four huge Centaurs galloped up behind Harry and Ron, their arrows already their bows, pointing straight at Voldemort.
"Whenever it suits your pleasure, Mister Weasley," Firenze deep baritone voice rang out.
Just as Ron started to bring the sword down, Voldemort aimed his wand and the four Centaurs let their arrows fly. Rather than cursing Ron, the Dark Lord had to quickly defend himself and deflect the arrows, which flew off, causing several watchers to duck.
Ron's aim was true and he hit the Locket square in the middle, breaking it and unleashing a black cloud which swirled upward, distorted wails and floating skulls disappearing into the rafters.
There was a stunned silence, broken by a scream of rage from Voldemort, who advanced toward Harry, madness shining from his eyes. Bella was working her way along the edge of the crowd of combatants, who had stepped clear of the center of the floor, too fascinated by what might happen to remember to duel each other.
Voldemort stopped halfway to the door, facing Harry, who stood, wand at the ready, in the doorway. Firenze and the other Centaurs: Ronan, Bane and Magorian had backed away to the side, watching the drama unfold.
Ron had stepped inside the door and was leaning on the wall catching his breath when he saw Bella wending her way toward his end of the Hall, but he could see she had another goal in sight . . . Narcissa was standing near Neville, looking across the Hall trying to find Lucius and Draco; Cissa had no idea Bella was coming at her, knife raised to strike.
"Neville!" shouted Ron, as he heaved the Gryffindor Sword to his mate.
Neville caught the Sword even as he glanced over his shoulder to check what the danger might be . . .and instinctively spun around and thrust out the Sword in one swift motion.
Bella gasped and looked down, to find herself impaled on the Sword, almost up to the hilt. She looked up to see Neville's grim face, Narcissa standing next to him, her hand over her mouth, eyes wide in shock.
"That's for Mum and Dad," Neville growled at Bella and then pulled out the sword with a sickening 'swoosh'. Bella dropped to the floor, motionless. Narcissa stared down at her sister's body and then put her arm through Neville's and standing on tiptoe, kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you, Neville," she whispered.
"My pleasure," he replied, even as Voldemort turned, bringing down his wand to point at this fool who had dared to kill his pet, his favorite, his most faithful follower!
"AVADA KADAVRA!" the Dark Lord screamed.
"NO!" Harry's voice rang out.
Harry had seen it coming and run forward to launch himself between the two.
A bright green light enveloped Harry as, falling, he turned his head and watched the spell rebound and hit Voldemort, knocking him down. Then it all went silent . . . and dark.