Chapter 51

The Final Lesson

Battle of Astronomy Tower, Part 2

"I am a Professor, and I will assist. But I do not know your tactics, abilities, or methods." McGonagall looked squarely at Harry with a focus that cut through all his pretense and defenses. "Mr. Potter, you have been preparing for this for six years. I need you… NOW!"

Harry had to swallow hard. He looked around to the friends and family surrounding him. Several of them seemed to be able to read his mind.

Neville smiled. "Mate, I've been fighting with you for two years. Why should tonight be different?"

Susan stood tall and proud. "House Bones was the first to offer allegiance to you. I'm not changing that now."

Bill stood in respect, "Master Potter, I believe your time has come."

Ginny gave him the strongest look of confidence, with a slightly sultry smile. "Partners. I have always believed in you."

Harry took a breath. He felt the weight of responsibility through his house signet ring. He rubbed it briefly, then found his strength.

"Ma'am, I need back in the Great Hall. Neville, do you have your scry map with you?"

The Professor opened the door as Neville handed over the map. Seeing how this was about to unfold, Ginny gave McGonagall a spare link she carried, an example she learned from her boyfriend.

Harry led the way back to the hall and to the nearest table. He flatten out the map. "Angel, I need eyes on scrys for us. That's you."

Luna nodded as they took position watching.

"Professor, three years ago you had all of us sleep in here the last time you thought there was a killer loose. Logic suggests this is one of the most secure rooms in the castle?" Harry asked looking around, he gave a nod of confidence to the Hufflepuffs staring to watch him.

"Precisely, increased guards and wards." McGonagall replied.

"Good, we'll do the same again. Angel, you're in charge of this room then."

"If you are assigning her that role, she will need the charms." McGonagall advised. "Miss Lovegood, your wand." The Professor soon shared a blue energy with Luna's wand. "The Hall will now respect your will as mine."

Clearly surprised, Luna nodded in respect and understanding.

"We have two priorities. We need to negate the invading threat and protect the student body". Harry took his cop book out and quickly wrote a quick note. Then laid it and the pen next to the scry map. Harry finally took to the link and looked over to the Professor passing the reins to him."This is Potter. Tonks and Remus are in Medical. I'm assuming command of the squadron. Marauders will be engaging. Angel will be scrying and guiding. We've already contained both Carrows. I need reports on Rowle, Yaxley, Greyback, Lestrange, Draco, Snape, and Rid-"

"Snape?" McGonagall repeated.

"Yes ma'am." Harry replied verbally. As much as Tonks has trained us this year, Snape has with Draco. And if you think back to when we interrogated Draco, I think you'll find reason to believe me."

McGonagall stood with resolve. "I do, Mr. Potter. I most certainly do."

Luna only needed a moment of watching the map before she started seeing intel. "Lestrange and Rowle are in the Armor Gallery. Several Eaters heading for Astronomy Tower; Gibbon, Yaxley, Greyback… and Draco."

"He's made his choice." Harry replied. "We made ours. And ours came with duties!" He looked around to see the nods agreement from his fellow cadets.

"What would Lestrange want with the armor?" Neville asked.

"I have an idea." McGonagall replied.

"Harry, Astronomy Tower, that's where Ron is at!" Ginny reminded. "Hermione too."

"Mione too?" he asked.

"Ron didn't bring his link so she went to warn him in person."

"Angel?" Harry asked.

Luna studied the map briefly. "Confirmed. Both there with the Death Eaters… and Dumbledore."

"Thank Merlin." McGonagall sighed. "Mr. Potter, With the Professor already at the tower, I believe I would be of most assistance with the Armor Gallery."

"Fine but not alone. Neville, Reaper, with the Professor, Team McGonagall. Lestrange first and we'll coordinate after that. " Harry nodded. "And Neville… good hunting"

Neville nodded as they set out.

Harry continued. "Ernie, you have Bravo Team, I want you to play shepherd with the other students. Dean, you have Charlie Team. I want you on round up also. Angel will guide you. We're taking a page from our third year and everyone falls back into the Great Hall. Only exception is if they need medical. Even those I want Angel to know."

Harry leaned close to Luna. "I know I am putting a lot on you. Can you handle this?"

Luna smiled. "Compared to N.E.W.T. in 90 days, this is easy. You handle the field, I'll watch your back."

Harry nodded. "Right, and the second you get a sighting of Riddle I want to know. I felt the bastard back in the Room."

"Understood." Luna nodded as she turned her attention back to the scry map.

Luna closed the Great Hall's doors as they walked out. "Crimson, Bill, you're with me. We have Astronomy Tower. Let's go see what the hell is going on there." The walk out was cut short as the floor to the Entrance Courtyard was covered in red. But it was quickly being washed away as rain fell from dark storm clouds. They quickly followed the source of the blood along the edge of the wall to Sally-Anne Perks huddled in the corner, desperately holding the gash against her collar bone. Her breathing was faint and she was saying something intelligible, but she was alive. Crimson immediately knelt, gave Sally a vial of blood replenisher, and started trying to heal the gash.

Harry stayed out of the way and hit the link. "Bravo team, I need someone at the Entrance Courtyard. Sally-Anne's been hit and needs to get to medical ASAP."

"On my way." Katie replied.

"This isn't working!" Crimson said in frustration. "I know how to cast a healing spell, why isn't it working?"

Bill and Harry looked at each other and realized. "Greyback." Bill reached into his pack and pulled out a shemagh and took a knee next to his sister. "Here, I picked this up from some squibs in Egypt. They use pressure to help stop bleeding."

"Okay, thank you." Ginny said with concern. "But what's wrong with my Episkey?"

"Nothing dear sister, except Greyback is stronger and more potent werewolf than the foot soldiers you were dealing with this year. At a certain point their venom prevents low level charms."

Katie then arrived on her broom out of the hallway. "Good," Bill said. "We've done what we can."

"I'll take her." Katie said as she stood Sally up with her arm over her shoulder. When she looked up her eyes filled with fright. "Oh gods!"

The other three finally turned around and looked up in the direction Katie was looking. There hanging in the sky above the Astronomy Tower was the blazing green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters left behind whenever they had killed someone.

Hermione left the Gryffindor Commons to Astronomy Tower, muttering to herself. "Of all the days for you to forget your link Ronald Weasley, you would have to choose today." She double checked that her own link was in her pocket as she walked. To not create alarm she quietly but deliberately made her way through the corridors and finally to the only door for the tower. She started on the spiral staircase, but her hand had only just closed upon the railing of the stairs when she heard footsteps and voices behind her.

"You secure the tower. I'll set the bait. Kid, you do your damn job!" a low voice with a cockney accent ordered.

Hermione spun around, but only in time to see Draco holding a wand pointed at her and feel her body succumb to body bind hex. "Filthy Mudblood," he spat. Then he sneered as he continued up the stairs.

Gibbon remained as he looked Hermione over from head to toe and licked his lips "Well, well, well, what kind of peach do we 'ave 'ere? I'm on a bit of a schedule right now lass, but if time allows, I'll be back for you. Show you a good time." Deliberately with his hand on her breast he pushed her petrified body over the edge of the railing and down six feet to the floor. She felt the pain as her head and backside fell onto the stone. Helpless, from the edges of her vision she watched as Gibbon started pacing around her. He rolled up his sleeve revealing his Dark Mark. Then he took his wand and charged the mark. He continued to chat as he circled Hermione like a ritual sacrifice that she feared she was about to become. "Morsmordre." She could feel the link in her pocket grow warm and could only guess what calls were going out if she was laying here. Though she'd never seen it before, Hermione recognized instantly what was happening as the molts of green and black arcane energy began soaring upward. Gibbon was summoning a Dark Mark. The Death Eaters were here, they were striking and she was powerless to stop it. Unable to do anything else, the petrified Hermione cried… and the tears rolled down the sides of her head unchecked and unheard.

McGonagall led the way with Neville and Reaper on either side. McGonagall clearly not comfortable but wanting to use the new tools she tried her link. "Miss Lovegood, can you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am." Luna replied to the three of them.

"Good, and Lestrange and Rowle are still in the Armor Gallery?"

"Yes ma'am." she said again.

"Thank you," then McGonagall looked at her students. "May I suggest a strategy?"

Susan and Neville exchanged smirks. Neville smiled, "Absolutely ma'am."

"I will proceed directly to the main entrance of the gallery. You two take this turn circle around to the back entrance. Your brooms should make quick work of it."

Susan was taken aback. "I can't believe you're actually telling us to fly inside the castle."

"You forget, Miss Bones, I too was a Chaser in this school. And you know very little of the mischief of my years. After we win the day perhaps we can discuss later. Right now, fly!"

Neville and Susan knew well enough to challenge that tone of voice, and it was a solid plan. They quickly drew their brooms from their quivers and dashed off.

Minerva walked the final steps down the corridor and turned. Along each side of the hall stood a row of dozens of suits of armor, all of them gleaming in the fire light and further accented by the flashes of lightning from outside the windows. In the center of the hall Lestrange and Rowle were clearly struggling with an incantation. So much so, Minerva was yet unnoticed. Recognizing her will the doors closed behind Minerva and sealed with red energy. The thud broke Death Eaters incantation attempts and snapped their attention to them.

"It won't work, Bellatrix." McGonagall bellowed, announcing herself and drawing their attention.

Bellatrix smiled, and chuckled. "Ah McGony the scottie, I wondered if I'd run into you."

"You came to my school! Of course I would be here. I will always stand before my children!" McGonagally yelled back sternly. "I know you never took them to heart, but even you two must remember my teaching of the importance of punctuality."

"Ahh," Rowle mocked, "Such a mother hen."

"Bear." McGonagall corrected as the teacher she had been for decades.

"What?" Rowle asked, confused.

"If you are going to insist on animalistic comparisons to me, at least use the right one. I have always appreciated the comparison to a mother bear. One who you have angered." McGonagall said as she glared at the intruders. With her head high, unafraid, and even proud, she continued. "I am also a fair teacher. I will give you the same singular opportunity that I gave your Carrow cohorts; Snap your wands and leave now with your lives!"

Lestrange looked at the Professor like Minerva was the crazy one. "Are you mad old woman? You haven't even drawn your wand!"

A flash of rage spiked in McGonagall's eyes, and the heavens felt with a flash of light and clap of thunder. "In this place… I don't need one."

"Really? Let's test that!" as Lestrange fired a red hex to the teacher. McGonagall stood undaunted. Then at the last moment an armor shield flew from one of the knights to float before her and stand in defence.

McGonagall continued the lesson. "I told you, your incantation would not work, because a far more powerful version has already been set up these suits for ages. And unlike you…" she raised her arm to show her Hogwarts ring glowing. "They know who to respect. 'Antimus armis'!" In coordinated unison, the army of knights came to life falling into formation protecting their mistress and weapons aimed at the invaders.

"What?" Rowle asked again in shock. He shot a blast at the nearest knight who blocked it with its shield then retaliated with a swing of a longsword.

"You bitch!" Lestrange swore at the teacher as she cast a shield to protect herself from the volley of blades swinging at her."

"Again," McGonagall corrected. "I prefer the comparison to a bear. You never learn, do you Bellatrix?"

Rowle found a clear shot inside behind one knight's shield. In desperation, he loosed a bombarda into it. It succeeded in blowing the armor pieces apart, but rather than crash into the ground, they stopped midway. They hovered for a moment, then they started to drift back together. "Good Godric!, this place is cursed!" Using the opening, Rowle leapt through the cavity where the chest piece use to be and dashed to the far end of the hall. Only for Susan to emerge from the door. "Stupefy!" she fired straight to his head knocking him off his feet.

As Rowle fell backwards in mid air, Neville continued their plan, "Petrificus Totalus!" Rowles frozen body hit the floor with a sickening thud.

Neville stepped into the gallery, bark shield already up and slowly grew his thorn whip. Nevilles jaw was tight, his shoulders square, and his eyes glowed green with charge.

Lestrange looked at Neville as she dodged knight swings. "You? You're not Potter."

"I don't need him for this." Neville replied as he charged.

"Avada Kedavra!" she yelled as she hurled the necrotic death spell at Neville. The knights had made Lestranges aim off already, Neville simply had to spin to dodge it.

"My turn." he growled, as he swung his whip at Lestranges feet. He gripped her tightly pulled Lestrange harshly to her backside. Then again he pulled and threw her to the wall. The knights sensing their mistress's approval stayed out of the way. In desperation the evil witch shot a red cutter Neville which he blocked with his shield. Then Neville pulled even harder and threw Lestrange even harder into the opposite wall. She cried in pain with the blow.

Lestrange raised her wand again.

"No!" Neville shouted as he raked his whip across her hand, throwing her weapon to the side. He scourged her again twice more with his torn whip tearing across her torso then face. "Never again you bitch!" Finally, Neville firmed the whip more into a branch and wrapped the spiked growth around Lestrange's throat…. then he lifted the witch off the ground … and squeezed. The drops of blood fell from her gashes as she clawed desperate against the vine for air. Neville held her firm and watched.

"Mr. Longbottom," McGonagall called, but was ignored.

Minerva slipped behind him and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Neville… you've already beaten her. Now… be better than her." With a wave of her other hand she summoned a suit of armor to encapsulate Lestrange, entombing her alive in steel, all but her head. "I promise you, she is not escaping this time."

It took Neville a long time to wrestle with the choice. Fifteen years of rage was hard to ignore. Finally though he growled. "Throw away the damn key." he said as he released the vine.

McGonagall took great pleasure in slamming the helmet on Lestrange's head, then locking it down.

Ron was carefully making observations of the night sky. His new watch laid on the table next to the parchment he made careful notes of what he saw, when he saw it and the importance and correlations of that. For once, Ron wasn't worried about a final. It was the out of place color that caught his eye. He wasn't sure what he saw, but nothing that belonged. He looked out to the observation deck again in time to see a green mote of energy shoot up through the floor then up to the night sky. Ron watched curiously to see if another mot would follow. Instead the entire of the observation deck came alight in an eerie green glow. One he hadn't seen in years, but hoped he never would again. "No," Ron whispered. "Please no."

He ran up to the deck and looked up. Hanging in the sky above him closer than Ron ever wanted to, he saw it. It was a colossal skull, composed of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. As he stood by helplessly, it rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky like a new constellation. Ron immediately knew he needed to warn the team. He started patting down his pocket, only to realize… he forgot his link. In his focus for his final and after a few weeks of calm, Ron left it behind.

Ron raced to the back wall for the cupboard his robes and pack were in. He had barely reached it with the first crack of thunder came. A storm had rolled in. Whether the Dark Mark had caused it Ron didn't know and cared less. He turned around to look outside to see the rain quickly starting to fall. Then, to his surprise, he saw the figure of Dumbledore descend from the air.

"Profess-" Ron began to call, only to see him quickly raise his wand to him. Ron's body became instantly rigid and immobile. A second flick of the Professor's wand and Ron felt himself himself thrown back against the tower wall, back into his coat cupboard, the door cross over him. Through slits in the door and lit by the light of the Mark, he saw Dumbledore's wand flying in an arc over the edge of the ramparts and understood... Dumbledore had wordlessly immobilized and disillusioned him, and the second he had taken to perform the spells had cost him the chance of defending himself. Standing against the ramparts, very white in the face, Dumbledore still showed no sign of panic or distress. He merely looked across at his disarmer and said, "Good evening, Draco."

Malfoy stepped forward, glancing around quickly to check that he and Dumbledore were alone. "Don't 'good evening me'. Don't you realize what's happening?"

"A question I might ask you. Or are you acting alone?"

Ron saw Malfoy's pale eyes shift back to Dumbledore in the greenish glare of the Mark. "No," he said. "I've got backup. There are Death Eaters here in your school tonight."

"Well, well," said Dumbledore, as though Malfoy was showing him an ambitious homework project. "Very good indeed. You found a way to let them in, did you?"

"Yeah," said Malfoy, who was panting.

Ron wanted to swear and hex the blonde bastard. Though immobile, he swore to himself if anything happened to Heromoine or Ginny, he would.

"Right under your nose and you never realized!" Draco boasted.

"Ingenious," said Dumbledore. "Yet... forgive me... where are they now? You seem unsupported."

"They met some of those damn cadets of Potter's. They're having a fight down below. They won't be long. I came on ahead. I — I've got a job to do."

"One of his cadets is right here! Damn you Dumbledore!" Ron thought as he fought against the spell.

"Well, then, you must get on and do it, my dear boy," said Dumbledore softly. There was silence. Ron stood imprisoned within his own paralyzed body, staring at the two of them, and in front of him, Draco Malfoy did nothing but stare at Dumbledore, who, incredibly, smiled.

"Draco, you are many things… but you are not a killer."

"Finnigan may beg to differ!" said Malfoy at once. He seemed to realize how childish the words had sounded; Ron saw him flush in the Mark's greenish light. "You don't know what else I'm capable of…" said Malfoy more forcefully. "You don't know what I've done!"

"Oh yes, I do," said Dumbledore mildly, almose with amusement. "You almost killed Katie Bell and Seamus Finnigan, and the entire faculty. You have been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts. So feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart has been really in it."

"It has!" said Malfoy vehemently. "I've been working on it all year, and tonight —" Somewhere in the depths of the castle below Ron heard a muffled yell it reminded him vaguely like Bill? Malfoy stiffened and glanced over his shoulder.

"Somebody is putting up a good fight," said Dumbledore conversationally. "But you were saying... you have managed to introduce Death Eaters into my school, which, I admit, I thought impossible. How did you do it?"

But Malfoy said nothing. He was still listening to whatever was happening below and seemed almost as paralyzed as Ron was.

"Perhaps you ought to get on with the job alone," suggested Dumbledore. "What if your backup has been thwarted by Harry? He is rather… tenacious. And after all, you don't really need help... I have no wand at the moment I cannot defend myself."

Ron poured all his will into trying to break free… all for naught.

Malfoy merely stared at him. "I see," said Dumbledore kindly, when Malfoy neither moved nor spoke. "Ahh I see… you are afraid to act until they join you."

"I'm not afraid!" snarled Malfoy, though he still made no move to hurt Dumbledore. "It's you who should be scared!"

"Why? I don't think you will kill me, Draco. Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe... The closest you came was with Mr. Finnigan, and let us be honest. You did that to goad Harry into a fight… which did not go so well for you. You still bear the scar of that lesson. So tell me, while we wait for your friends... How did you smuggle them in here? It seems to have taken you a long time to work out how to do it."

Malfoy looked as though he was fighting down the urge to shout, or to vomit. He gulped and took several deep breaths, glaring at Dumbledore, his wand pointing directly at the latter's heart. Then, as though he could not help himself, he said, "I had to mend that broken Vanishing Cabinet that no one's used for years. The one Montague got lost in last year."

"Aaaah." Dumbledore's sigh was half a groan. He closed his eyes for a moment. "That was clever. It has a mate, I take it?"

"In Borgin and Burkes," said Malfoy, "and they make a kind of passage teleportation between them. Montague told me that when he was stuck in the Hogwarts one, he was trapped in limbo but sometimes he could hear what was going on at school, and sometimes what was going on in the shop, as if the cabinet was traveling between them, but he couldn't make anyone hear him... In the end, he managed to Apparate out, even though he'd never passed his test. He nearly died doing it. Everyone thought it was a really good story, but I was the only one who realized what it meant! I was the one who realized there could be a way into Hogwarts through the cabinets. I just needed to fix the broken one."

"Very clever," murmured Dumbledore. "So the Death Eaters were able to pass from Borgin and Burkes into the school to help you. A clever plan, a very clever plan indeed and, as you say, right under my nose."

Ron tried to scream his way to freedom. Of all the stupid, selfish, vile acts that Draco had done, this was a new low.

"Yeah," said Malfoy, who bizarrely seemed to draw courage and comfort from Dumbledore's praise. "Yeah, it was!"

"But there were times," Dumbledore went on, "weren't there, when you were not sure you would succeed in mending the cabinet? And you resorted to crude and badly judged measures such as sending me a cursed necklace that was bound to reach the wrong hands... poisoning mead that more chance of killing others than I…"

"Yeah, well, you still didn't realize who was behind that stuff, did you?" sneered Malfoy, as Dumbledore slid a little down the ramparts, the strength in his legs apparently fading, and Ron struggled fruitlessly, mutely, against the enchantment binding him.

"As a matter of fact, I did," said Dumbledore. "I was sure it was you."

"LIAR! Why didn't you stop me, then?" Malfoy demanded.

"I tried, Draco. Professor Snape has been keeping watch over you on my orders —"

"He hasn't been doing your orders, he promised my mother —"

"Of course that is what he would tell you, Draco, but —"

"He's a double agent, you stupid old man, he isn't working for you, you just think he is!"

"We must agree to differ on that, Draco. It so happens that I trust Professor Snape —"

"Well, you're losing your grip, then!" sneered Malfoy.

There was at least one thing that Draco and Ron agreed on.

Draco continued "He's been offering me plenty of help… wanting all the glory for himself… wanting a bit of the action… 'What are you doing?' 'Did you do the necklace, that was stupid, it could have blown everything" Draco mock impersonated Snape. "But I haven't told him what I've been doing in the Room of Requirement, he's going to wake up tomorrow and it'll all be over and he won't be the Dark Lord's favorite anymore, he'll be nothing compared to me, nothing!"

"Very gratifying," said Dumbledore mildly. "We all like appreciation for our own hard work, of course. But as for being about to kill me, Draco, you have had several long minutes now, we are quite alone, I am more defenseless than you could have dreamed of finding me, and still you have not acted."

Malfoy's mouth contorted involuntarily, as though he had tasted something very bitter.

"Now, about tonight," Dumbledore went on, "I am a little puzzled about how it happened... He pointed to the Dark Mark above them.

"We decided to put the Dark Mark over the tower and get you to hurry up here, to see who'd been killed," said Malfoy. "And it worked!"

"Well... yes and no..." said Dumbledore. "But am I to take it, then, that nobody has been murdered?"

"That's not my problem," said Malfoy, and his voice seemed to go up an octave as he said it. "I was supposed to be waiting up here when you got back, only Potter's lot got in the way…"

"Yes, Harry has a tendency to be in the middle of trouble," said Dumbledore.

A clap of thunder and the largest bolt of lightning Ron had even seen crashed so close to the ground Ron could feel the tremble in the tower. 'Harry!' Ron thought. Lightning that strong that close to trouble, that had to be Harry.

"There is little time, one way or another," said Dumbledore. "So let us discuss your options, Draco."

"My options!" said Malfoy loudly. "I'm standing here with a wand. I'm about to kill you!"

"My dear boy, let us have no more pretense about that. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when you first disarmed me, you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat."

'Damn Malfoy, the Old Man really has your number!' Ron couldn't help but think in his restrained state.

"I haven't got any options!" Malfoy cried, and he was suddenly white as Dumbledore. "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!"

"I appreciate the difficulty of your position," said Dumbledore. "Why else do you think I have not confronted you before now? Because I knew that you would have been murdered if Lord Voldemort realized that I suspected you."

Malfoy winced at the sound of the name. "I did not dare speak to you of the mission with which I knew you had been entrusted, in case he used Legilimency against you," continued Dumbledore. "But now at last we can speak plainly to each other. No permanent harm has been done, though you are very lucky that your unintentional victims survived. I can help you, Draco."

"No, you can't!" said Malfoy, his wand hand shaking very badly indeed. "Nobody can. He told me to do it or he'll kill me. I've got no choice."

"Draco… there is always a choice. Choose wisely, Draco. We can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. Sergeant Tonks herself is desperate to save you from your father's path. I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her likewise. Your father is safe at the moment in Azkaban... When the time comes, we can protect him too... Come to the light side, Draco... you are not a killer…"

Malfoy stared at Dumbledore. "I got this far, didn't I?" he said slowly. "They thought I'd die in the attempt, but I'm here... and you're in my power... I'm the one with the wand... You're at my mercy…"

"No, Draco," said Dumbledore quietly. "It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now." Malfoy did not speak. His mouth was open, his wand hand still trembling. Ron thought he saw it drop by a fraction — But suddenly footsteps were thundering up the stairs, and a second later Malfoy was shoved out of the way as a pair of people in black robes burst through the door onto the ramparts. Still paralyzed, his eyes staring unblinkingly, Ron gazed in terror upon two strangers: It seemed the Death Eaters had won the fight below.

A lumpy-looking man with an odd lopsided leer gave a wheezy giggle. "Dumbledore cornered!" he said, and he turned to a stocky little woman who looked as though she could be his sister and who was grinning eagerly.

"Dumbledore wandless, and alone! Well done, Draco, well done!" a Death eater with a heavy brutal-looking face said.

"Good evening, Yaxley," said Dumbledore calmly, as though welcoming the man to a tea party. "And you've brought Gibbons too... Charming…"

"Think your little jokes'll help you on your deathbed then?" he jeered.

"Jokes? No, no, these are manners," replied Dumbledore.

"Right, so what is the polite way for one to off you?" Gibbon said as he held his wand ready and left the door and walked the perimeter away from Ron to have a clear and open shot on the greatest wizard of the world.

"We've got orders." Yaxley said. "Draco's got to do it." he turned and looked sternly to the student. "Now, Draco, quickly!"

Malfoy was showing less resolution than ever. He looked terrified as he stared into Dumbledore's face, which was even paler, and rather lower than usual, as he had slid so far down the rampart wall.

"He's not long for this world anyway, if you ask me!" Gibbon said. "Look at im — what's appened to you and your hand, Dumby?"

"Oh, weaker resistance, slower reflexes, Gibbon," said Dumbledore. "Old age, in short... One day, perhaps, it will happen to you... if you are lucky..."

"Always the same, weren't yeh, Dumby, always talking and doing nothing. I don't even know why the Dark Lord's bothering to kill yer! Come on, Draco, do it!"

"Draco, do it or git out of the way." Gibbon said. But at that precise moment, the door to the ramparts burst open once more revealing Snape.

Harry, Crimson, and Bill stood in the rain as they watched the tower. Harry linked in. "Angel, we're about at Astronomy Tower. Give us a read, who do we have here?"

"Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore, but they haven't moved for a bit. Gibbon, Yaxley and Draco are active inside. Keep an eye out for Greyback, it looks like he is running a patrol around the tower."

"Understood." Harry replied then he turned to Crimson as he flashed his armshield up. "Greyback is a bastard. Air support is your specialty. Why don't you catch some sky and see if you get eyes on him?"

"Gotcha, keep on link." she said as she hopped up and flew only two or three stories off the ground scouting for the werewolf around the tower.

"You two work well together, Harry." Bill said with his wand ready.

"Thank you," Harry replied, with his eyes scanning through the storm.

"Are you two alright in a storm?" the concerned big brother asked, mockingly.

"Psh, Bill, this is where I break your heart. Gin is sweet, but she ain't sugar and ain't gonna melt in the rain."

Bill laughed heartily at the joke and almost cried.

"It's not that funny." Crimson corrected over the link.

"Yes… yes it is!" Bill replied, calming down. More seriously he asked. "How about you?"

Harry flashed him a look with sparks in his eyes. "Lightning mage, remember?"

Carefully and with watchful eyes the pair approached the tower.

"Greyback stopped," Luna warned. "It looks like he's directly in the entryway."

Harry and Bill looked ahead and the way was clear. Bill reported in, "Path looking clear to me."

"Harry told me to read the map. I'm reading the map!" Luna replied.

"Understood." Bill replied, then verbally he whispered over. "That's not the 'Little Lu' I remember playing in the orchard."

"She's got a bloke and packs a good wallop too. Things change, Bill." Harry replied, his focus forward. He tapped his mage vision on, but only saw what seemed to be a forcewall blocking the door.

"He's on the wall!" Crimson finally warned. The lads looked up to see Greyback leap from the stone work.

"Scatter!" Harry ordered as he rolled left and Bill went right.

Harry fired a witchbolt at the beast and Bill hexed a bombarda. Both of which the werewolf spun and dodged. As soon as Harry was back on his feet he shot another bolt at the beast which caught him in the shoulder as Greyback dodge Bill's shot, then a flame from Crimson's Dragon's Breath engulfed the wolfman. He howled in pain. "You are all going to regret that!"

Luna's voice cut in. "Marauders, Snape approaching from the castle."

"You two handle the wolf," Crimson said. "I'll take the snake." She jet back around to lay eyes on the teacher and with great satisfaction dropped a fireball on him. She looped back around to see him unharmed and the flames limited from the shield he had cast.

With a spell boosted voice he goaded. "The problem with being an elemental mage…"

Crimson didn't let him finish. 'Confrigo!' she cast again.

Again Snape shielded against it. "... is that your attacks are easily predicted, my little arsonist."

"Little this!" Crimson replied, 'Bombarda!" That got through enough to actually throw Snape backward.

Then he started hexing back at Crimson. But between her flight and her shield charm she remained safe. Undaunted, Snape thought for a moment then smiled. With a spin and a flourish he threw another hex at the chaser with no damage… but froze the broom in place. Crimson was catapulted forward uncontrollable.

"Ginny!" Bill yelled, distracted.

"She's charmed!" Harry tried to remind.

That was enough for Greyback to pounce on the opening on the curse breaker.

"BILL!" Ginny screamed as she watched the beast tear across Bill's face while she helplessly floated downward

"You son of bitch!" Harry shouted as he caught Greyback's claw in his whip preventing a second swing. "Get over here!" Harry pulled with all his might to get the wolfman off his brother in protection.

"You want me Potter? Oh you can absolutely have me!" Greyback snarled as he took Harry's momentum and used it to pounce onto him.

Ginny finally reached the ground and ran to Bill. "Merlin, this is bad!"

"Get Bill to med!" Harry yelled pinned beneath the beast. His arm shield being his sole protecting from the claws and slashing of the werewolf on top of him.

"You'll need more than a healer when I'm done with you boy!" Greyback snarled.

"What about you!" Ginny asked.

"Divide and conquer! You handle Bill, I'll handle the dog! That's an order!"

With the sourest look Ginny had ever given Harry, she finally portkeyed away taking her brother with her.

Snape simply walked past the two looking snidely upon Harry. "Pitty Potter, I thought you would make it to the end." Snape continued to walk past without a care for the student beneath the beast.

"Oh it is his end." Greyback goated.

"You really are dumb aren't you?" Harry sassed.

"I'm on top." Greyback smiled with the venom dripping from his mouth onto Harry's shield.

"But you've fucked up twice."

"How so future chewtoy?"

"First, you took a swing at a lightning mages's family."

"Boo hoo." Greyback mocked.

"Second, you did it during a storm! 'Vocare fulgur!'" The storm clouds surged above them, then not from the wand gripped in Harry's hand, but from the sky itself. Easily four times stronger than anything Harry cast himself, this bolt seemed to be powered by nature itself and answer the beck and call of its master. The ground shook from the power of impact as the electricity poured over and through both of them.

But only one of them was immune.

Grayback howled in torturous pain as the electricity overwhelmed his being then his cries stopped. Harry watched as the life drained from the eyes of the monster and Harry released the lightning bolt.

"Harry!" Luna cried. "Greyback is off the map!"

Harry shoved the lifeless body of the werewolf off to the side. "All units. This is Potter, I'm fine. Greyback rode the lightning."

"Neville here, Lestrange and Rowle secured."

Catching what had to be his third wind Harry jogged over to the door to the tower. He found what he expected. Forcewall glowing red whenever he touched it. As he looked at the wall he also looked through the field, and then he saw it. Though most of her body was blocked by the staircase, Harry recognized that tuft of bushy brown hair anywhere. "Hermione!" he yelled.

Not seeing her move, he had a moment of panic, but worked the problem. He tapped his mage vision on again and could see the orange aura of a body bind spell. "Hermione, I see you! We got you!"

"Angel, I have a visual on Hermione. Base of Astronomy tower. Looks like she's been hit with a body bind curse."

Harry took a few steps back and raised his wand. 'Fulgur fulmenso!' Harry poured his power into the bolt and fired at the forcewall. "Dammit to hell!" he swore. Then he worked the problem. The force wall blocking the doorway of the stone tower was too strong. Clearly, it was intended to only let those with a dark mark pass through.

Stone tower!

"Neville, I need an earth mage at Astronomy Tower. If the Eaters have blocked the main door, make a new one! Just get Miracle to safety."

"On our way." Neville replied.

"Mr. Potter, I believe I may be able to assist." McGonagal added. "This is still my school."

"You are always welcome ma'am." Harry replied. "Angel, Tower status, besides Mione?"

"No movement on Ron or Dumbledore. Gibbons, Yaxley, Draco and now Snape, all of them seem to be together." Luna reported.

Harry got as close to the force wall as he could. "Hermione, I have backup on the way for you. But I've got to check on Ron. Stay strong for just a few more minutes."

Harry took a step up and looked up at the lightning struck tower beneath the Dark Mark "Angel, clarification. Do we have any sign of Riddle on the map?"

"No Harry, and I am looking."

"I trust your eyes. That's why you're there. I'm going in."

"How?" Luna asked.

Harry drew his broom from his quiver. "The hard way."

"We've got a problem, Snape," Yaxley reported, whose eyes and wand were fixed alike upon Dumbledore, "the boy doesn't seem able-"

But somebody else had spoken Snape's name, quite softly. "Severus..." The sound frightened Ron beyond anything he had experienced all evening. For the first time, Dumbledore was pleading. Snape said nothing, but walked forward and pushed Malfoy roughly out of the way. The three Death Eaters fell back without a word. Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face. "Severus... please..."

Snape raised his wand to the headmaster, "Avada-"

Suddenly from behind Dumbledore shot up a lightning covered rider on a broom. "Fulgur fulmenso!" Harry shouted from above as he targeted the base of the feet of the nearest Death Eater, Gibbon. The blast threw Gibbon off the edge of the deck and was bright enough everyone watching had to look away.

Suddenly Ron was free! With the Professor's concentration broken he was free to move again. With Harry providing the distraction and the storm raining the Water Wizard knew exactly want to do. He burst forward wand in hand running past his best friend. With frost over his eyes Ron took the defensive position in front of the headmaster and stabbed the stone in front of them. Instantly, a wall of ice grew dividing the platform isolating Ron and Dumbledore from the rest.

While the ice grew, Harry leapt from his broom and landed on the McGonagall shield and rolled into a kneeling position with his shield and wand ready. "D.M.L.E.!" he shouted in defiance.

Befuddled. Dumbledore looked to the redhead who was using the rain to thicken the ice wall in front of them both. "Mr. Weasley… what are you doing?"

"Saving your life!" Ron shouted back without stopping his casting work.

Snape was disgusted. "I'm not surprised you're still alive, Mr. Potter. You're quite good at that. Though I admit to curiosity as to how."

"Simple, I killed your dog." Harry replied.

Snape rolled his eyes. Yaxley seemed shocked. "You? You killed Fenrir Greyback?"

"I enlightened him." Harry smirked.

"I swear boy," Snape said in disdain. "You are arrogance incarnate, even worse than your father. Just who the devil do you think you are?"

Harry was battered, bruised, gashed, bleeding, minimum one broken rib, and now soaked to the core. But damned to hell if he still wasn't in the fight. With a surge of strength from an unknown source, he rose to his feet. "I am an auror, sir! And by the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I am ordering you to drop - your - wand!"

Snape paused, his eyes bouncing back and forth between Harry and the pair behind the wall of ice wall. Harry could see him calculating, and he could see one of the options. Silently but into his link Harry shouted. 'I need Crimson to Astronomy Tower NOW!"

"Coming!" she yelled back over the link.

Yaxley grew impatient. "If the kid has made it this far, we have to move!"

Finally Snape made his choice, "Bombarda Maxima!"

Time seemed to slow down. The ice wall exploded as was most of the platform . Both Ron and Dumbledore were blown over the edge. Harry sprinted for the side shouting, "Crimson, catch Dumbledore!" with his lightning whip already out. The Professor was already out of sight. Ron was falling too. But Harry still had a view of his legs. With every ounce of will he had, Harry threw his whip out, farther than he'd ever tried before. By some miracle, he caught Ron's ankle… and his weight… pulling Harry down with him too. Just as he was falling over Harry reached out with his left hand to snag the broken shards of the ice wall while he kept a death grip on his wand with his right. He screamed out in pain between being torn in two and the icy daggers digging into his hand that he had to choose to hold on to.

Snape grabbed Draco by the collar and led Yaxley back down the stairwell. Only to see McGonagall leading the team of Neville, Susan, and Hermione. Their eyes met for a moment and she was enraged. She immediately threw a blast at the three Death Eaters. Snape threw his shield up but trembled with the power he felt from her blast.

"Severus! How dare you!" She called out in vitriol.

Snape waved his wall and called out 'Magicae murum muerto!' A new force wall, or more precisely a floor erupted splitting the tower into an upper half and lower half. "Retreat!" Snape ordered, "Back to the roof!"

"Severus!" McGonagall yelled. He turned to face his former colleague. "I will never forgive you for this!"

Snape looked her straight in her eyes. "I know."

The three of them dashed back up the stairs as they listened to McGonagall already work on her counter charm.

"What are we supposed to do here?" Draco demanded after they returned to the scene of the crime.

"Take my hand." Snape ordered as he uttered an incantation. Draco took his right and Yaxley his left as they continued running off the ledge. Then they began gliding away under a feather fall charm.

Crimson flew as fast as she could trust her instincts more than anything. She saw the three figures slipping off the edge. If she thought about anything, she would have chosen differently. But Harry said Dumbledore so that was her target. She could see the mass of blue robes and white hair falling far further than the rest. So she poured her will into the broom like her test flight. Somehow, she closed the gap and reached out to catch the Professor with both arms around his torso. But the momentum of his fall was too much for even Ginny's flying skills and pulled her off the broom. Still though she held firm to her assignment and trusted in her equipment. She and Dumbledore began to spin like some sort of dance… but the feather fall charm charged. And though they spun and drifted… their descent was slow.

A confused Dumbledoor looked at Ginny. "Miss Weasley, this is a most welcome and unexpected surprise."

Ginny knew they weren't out of danger yet though. "Shut up!" Ginny's attention was at the tower wall they were heading for. While the feather fall charm slowed their falling, they still had more than enough horizontal speed she knew this was going to hurt. Her wrist crashed hard into the stone work. She cried in pain but kept her grip on the Professor, who also groaned from the impact.

Unfortunately it seemed the featherfall charm took the damage as its glow started to fade. Their rate of descent started to increase as they slid along the wall.

Then stop as the charm tried again.

Then it failed again.

It sputtered in and out the entire length of the tower down to the ground but finally the charm burnt out all together and they fell the last ten feet. Ginny fell hard 0nto her backside and looked up to see her boyfriend hanging off the edge with her brother hanging by a familiar lightning whip. She was speechless.

Meanwhile, Harry was trying to finish his own rescue, as he watched the Death Eaters gently descend towards Hagrid's Hut. "Ron, portkey back to the Training Hall!"

"I forgot my pin!"

"You forgot your pin and your link! God damn it Ron!"

"I'm sorry Harry! Serves me right for caring about class."

"Do you have your wand?" Harry asked.

"Dropped it in the blast."

"Why do you have to be so hard to save?" Harry grimaced through the pain.

Harry took a moment to think.

"Harry…" Ron called out in sincerity. "Just let me go mate."

Harry looked down with another bout of electricity in his eyes for determination. "Not… happening!" He looked down to best friend and saw an unusual tread on his boots. An idea came to mind. "Are those the shoes you got for Christmas?"

"Yeah." Ron answered, unsure where Harry was going with this.

"The ones that you can walk on walls with?"

"Yeah… YES!" Ron replied, finally realizing what Harry was suggesting.

"I will swing you over. I'll have to cut my line but if you get your feet to the wall-"

"I can stick like a spider and just walk down!" Ron nodded in agreement. He clicked his heels together. "I'm ready!"

Harry muscles buried from hand to hand, but pain was an old friend so still he pressed in. It took Harry a few swings to build up momentum. Finally, it felt like they had enough.

"Alright, on three I'm letting you go." Harry shouted. "Get your feet to that wall!"

"You don't have to remind me!"

"Fine, then last tip… pain and injuries are better than the alternative."

"I get you mate. Agreed" Ron nodded. "And Harry… thanks for trying so hard."

"Thank me on the ground!" Harry snapped. He counted as he started to swing Ron back and forth. "One … two … three!" Harry released the whip and holstered his wand. Immediately the weight release was a relief but he couldn't pull himself up until he knew.

Ron hurled the last ten feet in the air. He screamed and somersaulted as he fell. But in the last possible moment got his feet in front of him… and stuck. "YES!" He cheered in victory.

Harry let himself smile for a fraction of a moment then he pulled himself up, and finally rolled over the jagged ice onto the smoothe stone work of the tower proper. He stared up at the Dark Mark, pissed at its very existence. Still laying on his back he drew his wand, 'Fulgur fulmenso!' As he hoped the lightning bolt disrupted the Dark Mark spell and it started to fade away. He closed his eyes and let the rain fall on him as he focused on the link. "This is Potter. Crimson, status?"

"I'm fine. The Old Man's unconscious, but breathing."

"Ron's on the tower wall, he should be walking down." Harry replied.

"I see him already." Ginny laughed. "He's grinning like an idiot and waving as he walks."

"Team McGonagall, status? Hermione?"

"I'm here Harry!" Hermione's voice cried. "I'm with them, I'm okay! Thank you."

Neville hopped in. "Snape dropped another arcane barrier in the middle of the tower. Professor McGonagall is working on dispelling it. Hang tight and we'll have a way down for you."

Harry took a bandanna from his pocket and wrapped it around his left hand. Then rolled and twirled his wand in his right in a test motion. 'I can still cast, I can still fight, ' he thought. Harry holstered his weapon, pulled himself up again, and grabbed his broom. "Don't worry about it. I'm not done yet."

"What?!" everyone on the link asked at once.

"I'm not letting the bastards get away. They were floating towards Hagrid's Hut. I'm flying."

Ginny watched as she saw Harry run and leap off the tower roof again, this time onto his broom then fly off. "Damn you, Potter," she swore under her breath. "Accio broom." Soon she was airborn and beside him.

Harry looked to his side to see her. He shook his head and smiled. "Partners?"

"You're damn right!" she replied with determination and fire in her eyes.

Snape led the evacuation with only Yaxley and Draco with him. None of them looked forward to reporting in, but all three of them were desperate to leave this cursed school and its obsessive and arrogant children and staff. Draco kept looking around in a state of shock. This was nothing like what he had planned or been promised.

"Ya lot chose the wrong damn school to mess wit!" a deep voice roared. They turned to the small wood cabin as the hairy half giant screamed with his pink umbrella in hand.

Snape's eye twitched as it seemed his last nerve snapped. Yaxley wasn't much further behind him. The Professor called out with his wand, 'Arresto Momentum'! Hagrid jerked suddenly from a run to barely the speed of a crawl.

"I'm…still… com" Hagrid promised and the expression in his eyes showed commitment.

Yaxey was in no mood for it. With pure contempt and annoyance he raised his wand also 'Flipendo!' throwing Hadrid back through the door he just burst out of. Then he turned to the two who had actually been at the school and yelled. "Can we please leave this god forsaken place now?!" He turned and resumed their march away.

But their marching came to a screeching halt as a fireball exploded in front of them. Reflexively they turned around, only to see a lightning bolt crash behind them. Then both riders landed where they fired, their wands already aimed. Harry glared at Snape. "Snap your wand," Harry said, "Or I swear to Merlin I'm hexing you."

"Or don't!" Crimson cried. "I've had a bad night. Give me a good excuse to send you to hell!"

Snape sighed from his soul. "Mr. Potter, you truly are a cockroach aren't you? You always turn up and never die."

"I had good teachers… you were not one of them." He replied.

"Then perhaps a final lesson. Two points: First, do you know why the Dark Lord's victory is inevitable? Why he will always win? Because men like him are able to do what is necessary. While men like you limit yourself to what you is right."

Harry remained unchanged. "I'll let you spit out point two if you drop your wand."

"Point two is simple." Snape said smugly. "One does not need to speak to cast."

The wooden hut exploded in flames and the bellowing cries of the half giant filled the night air.

"HAGRID!" Both Harry and Ginny cried as they ran to the flames and to their friend.

Harry was already onto his link. "We need Ron at Hagrid's Hut now! Fire!"

"Stay put!" Crimson ordered.

"What?!" Harry asked.

"I'm the fire mage!" she reminded.

Harry stopped in pure frustration but respected the logic.

Crimson marched into the flames. It was similar to how Ron had described. She could feel the heat. She saw the flame dance around her and sometimes erupt at her. But no pain or harm came from them. In front of her she saw the large teacher, friend, with the flames already already tearing at his hair and clothes. She knew her own strength would do nothing. But this wouldn't be the first patient she had levitated this year. She cast the charm then coughed. A reminder fire was not the only variable in this situation. Crimson grabbed Hagrid by his ankles and pulled him out the doorway and into the shower of water coming from Harry's wand, soon wiping away the flames on his clothes. Hagrid was silent but trembling. His hands and head were blackened with cracks of blood pouring out. They both could see the agony in the teacher's eyes. Harry reached for his flask of pain killer. If anyone could handle the dosage it was Hagrid's body mass. Harry and Ginny watched as the trembling stopped. Harry watched very carefully … and sighed when Hagrid's chest rose again.

Very quickly Ron flew overhead and with far more power than Harry's wand, the water wizard soon funneled the rain from the nearby perimeter onto the hut. Quickly dosing the flame. Feeling the burden of command, Harry linked in. "Hannah!" he cried in desperation more than he intended.

"I'm here Harry." she reassured.

He was starting to lose his self control. So he redoubled his efforts. "Prep for burn victim, it's Hagrid."

"Gods…. Of course, bring 'em in. We'll take care of him."

"Fly em in?" Ginny offered.

Harry nodded. "I'll take right, you take left."

"I'll grab his feet." Ron volunteered.

Again they mounted their brooms. Ginny and Harry each wrapped around and under one of Hagrid's shoulders and gently lifted off to fly back towards the castle. They stayed on their brooms trying to offer the smoothest ride they could for the half giant as they floated through the courtyard in the door, and down the corridors to the Hospital wing, where a Hagrid sized bed was indeed waiting. Pomfrey and Hannah quickly set to work scrying and treating and pulling a curtain to cover their work.

Harry fell back against the stone wall. "Angel, status? Where the hell are they now?"

"I'm - I'm sorry," Luna apologized. "They're gone. They went off the map shortly after you called Ron for the fire."

"That was only three of them. What about Riddle? Where is he?" Harry demanded as he ran his bandaged hand through his hair.

"Harry, I swear to you I have been watching this map the whole time. I haven't seen his name once."

"I felt him, Luna."

"I believe you, Harry. But I never saw him. Can you believe me?" Luna asked.

Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry, who was clearly coming to the end of himself. "Stand down honey," she whispered. "It's over."

Ron came to the other slide of Harry. "Bro, we got this. You're good."

Gently, the Sixth and Seventh Weasleys guided the Eighth to an open bed. Though it was clear his mind was still running as he had a seat on bed.

"Angel, status of the students and faculty?"

"Present and accounted for, Harry." Luna reassured sweetly "Injured are there with you, the rest are here in Main Hall with me. We're okay."

Harry pressed on. "We need to set patrols. Get-"

"Harry," Neville cut in. "Susan and I have this. I have Katie and Dean heading out now."

"We should-"

"God damn it." Susan swore. "Ginny, take his link."

Ginny did so in a fluid movement. Then gently pushed Harry down. "Stop. Rest." she whispered reassuringly. "You have a team for a reason. You did your part. Let them do theirs."

Ginny could see another protest coming, so she stopped it with a kiss. One filled with gratitude that they both were still alive. When she broke apart she could see Harry had finally succumbed to his exhaustion. A tear fell from her eyes onto Harry's cheek. She used her thumb to rub it into his skin.